Highs and lows of aviation under Sirika
The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi A. Sirika, assumed office in November, 2015 after being appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sen. Sirika met an aviation industry that had made some improvements in safety and even some infrastructure facelift like terminals renovation and the commencement of the construction of new international terminal buildings in Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Port Harcourt and Lagos.
However, the aviation industry still needed a comprehensive overhaul with measured interventions in infrastructure and safety equipment. A case in point was the failed runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, that had become dangerous to aircraft and passengers. At least four foreign airlines had had their tyres ruptured on landing at the airport. Some of the airlines threatened to end their Abuja operations if the runway was not fixed.
The minister, on assumption of duty, did some further appraisal of the aviation industry and found out that the following: inadequate safety, security and surveillance equipment, decaying/ageing infrastructure and obsolete equipment, large number of unemployed trained Nigerian aviators, ageing and over-bloated work force in the aviation agencies and poor and intolerable conditions of airport facilities and equipment (long waiting and check-in times, timeconsuming security screening and baggage pickups).
To address the above issues and more, an aviation roadmap was developed as it was the case of previous ministers. Sen. Sirika publicly presented his road map on May 16, 2016. The road map was approved by Mr. President in October 2016.
Road map
The Aviation Sector Road Map which was aimed at creating an enabling environment for the industry to thrive comprises the following closely related components albeit without specific timelines for delivery: concession of airports, establishment of a national carrier, Development of agro-allied /cargo terminals, establishment of Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) Centre, Establishment of an Aviation Leasing Company (ALC), Development of Aerotropolis (airport cities), review of the acts establishing the aviation agencies, Establishment of an aerospace university, improvement in aviation safety and security through upgrade and modernisation of aviation infrastructure and facilities.
Others were upgrade of NCAT into an ICAO regional training centre of excellence, introduction
of policies on remotely piloted aircraft (drones), adherence to employment policies on the enforcement of expatriate quota, upgrade of AIB to a multi-modal accident investigation agency - National Transport Accident Investigation Board (NTAIB) and establishment of a search and rescue system.
The highs
A. Growing and sustaining the domestic aviation industry
The minister achieved the re-introduction of zero import duties on aircraft, engine and introduction of same for spare parts; removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from all shared transportation, including commercial flights.
Other successes include intervention to rescue Arik Air and Aero Contractors from total collapse. Both are currently in operation but under receivership.
He facilitated the commencement of the payment of severance/retirement benefits to former staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways.
Ensured a safe and competitive aviation industry resulting in the growth of the industry. The sector recorded an average growth of 33 per cent on domestic operations and 13.5 per cent on international operations between January, 2017, and June, 2018.
Provided the enabling environment for domestic airlines in the country to attain certification in IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Currently five Nigerian domestic airlines have certification.
B. Safety and security: Regulation and compliance with international standards
Certification of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, in April, 2017, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in November, 2017. The first ever airport certification in Nigeria.
Promulgated a new Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation which took effect in July, 2016.
Nigeria achieved an effective implementation level of 67.36 per cent during the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme carried out in March, 2016, which is above global average of 63.54 per cent. Nigeria also recorded 96.45 per cent in ICAO Universal Security Audit. In the areas of State Safety Programmes, Nigeria has attained Level 3 out of 4, thereby moving Nigeria from red to green on the ICAO dashboard.
In line with ICAO and WMO standards, in July, 2017, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency acquired ISO 9001 2015 certificate, which qualifies it to offer aeronautical and meteorological services. The agency became the first in Africa to be so certified in that category.
C. Safety infrastructure and security (navigational facilities)
Completion of
Tower Automated
Traffic Management Meteorological Systems.
Installation of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) CAT II, Doppler VORs (DVORs), Distance Measuring Equipment (DMEs) at four airports (Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Kaduna).
Installation of CAT III Instrument Landing Systems in Lagos and Abuja to improve operations during inclement weather.
Approach air-ground communication in 18 airports nationwide. (Maiduguri, Enugu, Jos, Calabar, Yola, Ilorin, Sokoto, Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Zaria, Katsina, Owerri, Calabar, Kaduna)
Installation of high power Very High Frequency (VHF) standalone radios in Lagos and Kano Area Control Centres (ACC) as backup for air - ground upper airways voice communication.
Deployment of ControllerPilot-Data Link Communication (CPDLC) in Lagos and Kano to enhance communication in the oceanic region and the remote areas of the North.
Developed and published Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) Procedures for 18 airports.
Introduced Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Arrival Routes (STARs) at Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt as an improvement on the procedures.
D. Safety and security infrastructure (weather-related)
NiMet provides daily weather forecast to Liberia and Sierra Leone and is currently training meteorological personnel of the Republic of Gambia in Banjul.
NiMet has entered into strategic partnerships with Met Agencies of Korea, Finland and India with a view to developing our capacity to design and fabricate automatic weather equipment and meteorological satellite system. Kano Air and
Installed Low Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS) at Katsina, Ilorin and Kaduna airports. (Low Level Wind Shear was largely responsible for the ADC Airline crash in Abuja, October 29, 2006).
Undertook rehabilitation of several meteorological enclosures, recording equipment, forecasting facilities and associated infrastructure nationwide to enhance weather recording and use in support of safe air navigation
In June 2018, NiMet’s Regional Training Centre got full reaccreditation by the WMO to continue offering courses for meteorological personnel from West, Central and North Africa.
E. Safety and security: Accident investigation and prevention
Published 10 final reports on serious incidents out of 28 released since the creation of AIB in 2007 (36 per cent of total reports released).
Issued 39 safety recommendations out of a total of 121 issued by the agency (32 per cent of total safety recommendations) and published the first safety bulletin in AIB’s history.
Rehabilitated the Emergency Operating Centre and furnished the Resuscitation Centres at Abuja and Lagos airports.
F. Airport development and passenger facilitation
Sen. Hadi Sirika saw to the completion and commissioning of the new international terminal buildings in Port Harcourt and Abuja.
However Lagos, Kano and Enugu have not been completed.
He also reconstructed the Abuja runway and undertook isolated repair of the taxiway and apron, including complete remarking of the pavement and associated airfield lighting system.
The new Abuja international terminal was also linked to the rail station.
It is also to his credit the installation of solar airfield lighting at 10 airports - Akure, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Yola, Kaduna, Minna, Enugu, Maiduguri, Jos and Ibadan.
He completed a 1,300-capacity multi-storey car park at the International Terminal in Lagos through PPP and completed the construction of Wing D Terminal at NAIA Abuja.
G. Capacity building and manpower development
Under his watch, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, was designated as an ICAO Regional Training Centre of Excellence.
FAAN training centre has also been designated as an ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre of Excellence. (October 2018).
Also, NCAT obtained the National Board for Technical Education’s full accreditation for Higher National Diploma (HND) in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology (Avionics), interim accreditation for HND in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology (Airframe/Powerplant) and National Diploma (ND) in Electrical/Electronics Engineering.
He pushed and successfully hosted the third ICAO World Aviation Forum (IWAF-3) in Abuja, from November 20 to 22, 2017 with the theme: “Financing the Development of Aviation Infrastructure” The first to be held outside Montreal, ICAO’s headquarters.
H. Contribution economy
Nigeria presently has Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with 83 countries, many of which have been reviewed to create opportunities for domestic carriers. However, they remain largely unutilised (10 per cent) due to limited capacity. Increase in sector contribution to GDP from 0.4 per cent to 0.6 per cent.
The lows
to the
One of the major low times for the minister is his inability to deliver the national carrier as promised even with all the hypes and razzmatazz around it.
Although the transaction’s advisers, the consortium comprising Airline Management Group Ltd, Avia Solutions Ltd. and Tianaero FZE, had completed the Outline Business Case (OBC) Report and ICRC reviewed the report and issued OBC Certificate of Compliance, the minister could not deliver on the national carrier on his announced date of December 20, 2018.
He, however, explained that the national carrier was only suspended at the time based on logistics but that it would still be delivered without saying exactly when.
The minister has also not been able to deliver on the following even though they formed the core of his programmes: Concession of four airports (Abuja, Lagos, Kano and PortHarcourt); development of an aerotropolis and development of cargo/agro allied terminals, establishment of Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) centre and the Aviation Leasing Company (ALC). All of these projects were to be delivered through PPP.
The minister had, however, said the projects were at various levels of implementation as transaction advisers had been appointed on each of the projects in line with regulatory guidelines.
Another dark spot is the inability of the minister to see to the completion of the Lagos, Kano and Enugu international airports.
Also, the second runway of the Abuja international airport has largely remained a mirage despite its importance. The minister had also promised to deliver on that but that has not happened.