September 06, (THEWILL) – Stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry have lauded the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), for taking the issue of the aviation industry to heart, and for demonstrating a huge sense of urgency to solving the myriad of challenges that have been facing the sector.
THEWILL recalls that Keyamo, when he was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had a lot of expectations from Nigerians, especially players in the aviation industry.
Assessing his performance in just one year, a wide range of stakeholders are of the view that the Minister has done excellently.
Commenting on the performance of the minister one year after the assumption of office, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), West Link Airlines, Capt Ibrahim Mshelia, stated that Keyamo had taken some bold steps to stabilise the industry, despite not being an aviation professional.
Citing the lingering case of a criminal gang that has been sabotaging the industry for a very long time; brokers and illegal charter operators, Mshelia noted that it was only Keyamo that was bold enough to stop them.
Although Mshelia pointed out that there were times the Minister encroached into areas outside his circle, the aviation expert insisted that even at that, the Minister has shown that he is good for the job.
For instance, “Just a few days ago, he wrote to the United Kingdom Secretary of State for transport concerning Heathrow Airport for Air Peace. That is a very good move and I like that boldness because it is supposed to be reciprocity. Our Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) arrangement says operation into prime airports. We have only one carrier that is going to the United Kingdom; the authority there should even give us Terminal Four, not even Terminal Three because their airlines are getting Lagos airport, which is our most primed airport, but they are pushing us in the bush through London Gatwick Airport.
“If your end destination is London, Gatwick is not a problem, but if your intention is to connect to Europe and America, then Heathrow is the best choice for you as a carrier because of the traffic you will hit along that route.
“Rwandair is flying into Terminal Four and that terminal is ten times better than Terminal Three. This is one other good thing that the minister has done and he should be commended for his stance”, Mshelia said.
Also Commending Keyamo, aviation expert, Frank Oruye, stated that Keyamo has brought in a more transparent approach to the dealings of the Ministry.
According to Oruye, the speed with which he addressed the Nigeria Air debacle was commendable, as it has now been further upheld by the verdict of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
Oruye also confirmed that the Minister made progress with the UAE stalemate and at the same time, pointed out that the cost of acquiring a visa to that nation is rather exorbitant.
However, he noted that Nigeria is partly to be blamed for high visa costs, being something our government seems to treat as a commodity.
Other areas that Keyamo has made positive impacts, according to Oruye are the commencement of Air Peace to London, the second Abuja runway, and improved infrastructure, amongst others.
On what he thinks the Minister needs to improve in order to move the sector forward, Oruye said, “Just as he has recently put in place governing councils for the Maritime University and NCAT, Zaria, he needs to appoint the Board of Directors for the remaining agencies.
“Just as he has facilitated the payment of minimum wage arrears of 45 months owed to NiMet staff, he needs to attend to the cries of the defunct Nigeria Airways staff and pensioners. The negotiated severance packages to the staff (Nigeria Airways) at liquidation, as well as placement of existing pensioners on the monthly payroll, are matters awaiting his input for the final approval of the President.”
Oruye also suggested that, just as he saw off the Nigeria Air project, the Minister needs to ditch the other pet baby of his predecessor, such as the African Aviation University, Abuja.
He equally urged the Minister to give NCAT, Zaria, all the support necessary to compete with the best in the world in order to attract students from Africa and beyond.
In his assessment, ex-Nigeria Airways pilot, Capt. Mohammed Badamasi, while admitting that Keyamo inherited many issues when he assumed office, said he has been able to tackle some of those issues.
Capt Badamasi who listed some of the issues inherited by the Minister pointed out that the minister was able to solve the Dollar/repatriation issue with foreign airlines, strengthened the security arrangements at the airports, and successfully stopped airport land encroachment.
Noting that the minister needs to improve on his performance, Badamasi said “I suggest that the minister should authorise the NCAA to organise a 3-day workshop open to stakeholders in the industry to assist him in solving the problems in the industry. The autonomy of the NCAA as an independent regulator for the aviation sector of the ministry is not negotiable.”
In the same vein, General Secretary of Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Olumide Ohunayo, said Keyamo has been able to push Nigeria first in all he does.
According to Ohunayo, Keyamo has exhibited more of that movement of having Nigerian airlines participate and that is a positive energy for the airlines to begin to see that they are not alone.
He noted that in Keyamo’s era, for the first time, Nigeria had a minister who when he designates a carrier on any route outside Nigeria, it becomes his responsibility to protect such a carrier.
“Now, we need to get investors to partner with these airlines and that has to do not only with the minister now but with corporate governance, the economic interest rates and all other indices that would attract the investors to come into the sector. I think that is an area that the government would need to look at in building a relationship with them”, Ohunayo said
On what the aviation Minister needs to do, to properly position the industry, Ohunayo said, “There is a need to reduce interference on the issue of airlines. Two decisions have been taken that are out of place; first was the grounding of Dana Air and the temporary grounding of some aircraft in the Arik fleet when passengers were still onboard the aircraft when it was about to take off in a domestic flight.
“Keyamo should use this one year to sit down with the players and assess himself. Yes, he has done well in some areas and he needs to improve in others.
“I also think he needs to reduce his travels; you cannot be going for every programme outside the shores of Nigeria under the guise that the minister was invited. For instance, a contract for the second runway in Abuja has been, and you now travel to Finland to look at it. I think he needs to sit down and devise a means by which we can get more airlines into the country, more aircraft for the airlines and how we can continue to sustain the safety level that we have and protect the passengers”, the aviation expert stated.
In other areas, the stakeholders pointed out that the Minister made improvements including BASA agreements, eradicating illegal private jet owners, improved infrastructure, procurement of scanners for five airports, reopening of 18R 36L runway of Lagos Airport, relocation of FAAN to Lagos and eradication of touts at airports, etc.
From the foregoing, many of the stakeholders believe Keyamo is a round peg in a round hole. They see the Minister, one who has rolled up the sleeves of his shirt for good performance.
With the current determination propelled by Keyamo, the Nigerian aviation industry, according to them, would be a force to reckon with in the global aviation industry as strict adherence to standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is being realised rapidly.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
