Experts canvass use of tech to boost Nigeria’s aviation, agric sectors as FG woos Canadian miners

Experts have canvassed the use of technology in tackling the numerous challenges facing Nigeria’s agriculture and aviation industry.

They made the submission yesterday at the ongoing Nigeria-Canada investment Summit in Abuja.

An aviation expert Sayeem Nadeem said Nigeria’s aviation and tourism industry has huge opportunities and will only require the deployment of technology to better its operational and revenue generation capacity

“Countries like Indonesia that has about 1,000 airplanes has grown its GDP to about $1trn because they deployed technology to facilitate growth, which is why Nigeria needs to do same as the county currently has about 70 airplanes.

“Out of 30 Nigerian airports, only 5 percent is popular brand patronized by foreign and local citizens which are Kano, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Owerri” he said

Nadeem added that the aviation sector is a huge GDP booster if only Nigeria can collaborate with other countries and have a home grown solution.

According to him, professional aviation courses can be established in Nigerian universities to grow manpower capacity and develop the sector.

Also addressing the gathering, the Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari encouraged Canadian miners to invest in the vast mining opportunities in Nigeria.

He encouraged Canadian investors to go into Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with government in order to provide needed infrastructure.

He said there are vast opportunities that exist in both the down and upstream sectors of Nigeria mineral industry.

“Many analysts have noted, that Nigeria is still essentially a Greenfield with a variety of mineral types and some of the highest grades of minerals anywhere in the world” Bwari said.

Noting the challenge of infrastructure in mining, the Minister revealed that Nigerian government has initiated a partnering scheme with the private sector for the provision of infrastructure through the National Integrated Infrastructure masterplan.

He listed government incentives on mining investments to include; a conducive investment climate comprising 100 percent ownership of mining project as guaranteed by the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007; waivers for customs and import duties for plant, machinery and equipment imported for mining operations as well as tax holidays of three to five years