WITHER AVIATION SECTOR WITHOUT ROAD MAP?

Nwobodo Chidiebere is worried that the aviation sector is again being left to rot

There is no doubt that political developments in the polity have preoccupied the minds of commentators and pundits. Sensational stories like 2016 Budget scandal rocking the House of Representatives, the unending PDP crisis - fuelled by contradictory rulings of learned justices, the Niger Delta imbroglio, and other pressing national issues, have succeeded in shifting the focus of the populace. But there is need to also look elsewhere, particularly the economy, especially now the nation’s economy is in dire need of resuscitation and revival.

One of the sectors that caught my attention is the aviation industry. The deteriorating state of infrastructural facilities at the nation’s airports, the gradual erosion of landmark legacies of the previous administration in revamping this all-important sector and the inability of current managers of the aviation industry to come out with well-articulated master plan in line with the change mantra of President Buhari-led government are worrying.

Not too long ago, there was national uproar on the status of Port Harcourt International Airport as one of the worst airports around. The use of make-shift tents to house passengers arriving from different countries of the world into Nigeria via this airport, brought the insufferable decay in the country’s aviation sector to limelight. If a nation that prides itself as the largest economy in Africa could not maintain its airports—which serve as good image maker to visitors, is it in sophisticated issue of safety that it could guarantee her citizens and visitors?

As a result of policy summersault, the farreaching reforms in aviation sector, embarked upon by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which was spearheaded by former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah have been abandon by the current government. Over one consecutive year in power, Nigerians are eagerly waiting to see the aviation road map of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government rolled out, either to continue where the past regime stopped or map out entirely new master plan for the industry.

I can recall that former President Jonathan hit the ground running immediately he was sworn in after the general election of 2011. He appointed capable hand to head the aviation ministry—in the person of Princess Stella Oduah (now a serving senator). Before her appointment, the Aviation Ministry was reserved for stooges of political godfathers, as an avenue to recoup money spent during elections. Our airports were nothing to write home about and the entire sector overtly became a shadow of itself due to long years of neglect. No one saw the urgency of transforming this industry not only into an economic hub—that would create job opportunities and wealth for our teeming unemployed graduates, but remodel the industry into a brand that would help uplift the image of Nigeria in the eyes of comity of nations.

Immediately after her call to serve as aviation minister, Stella Oduah sat down with tested aviation consultants with world class expertise and came out with well-conceptualised aviation master plan, which was subsequently approved in January 2012 by former President Jonathan. Armed with the road map, Oduah kick-started massive transformation of the nation’s moribund industry to what would have been 21st century aviation industry, if not for her premature exit as aviation minister, after the hullabaloo of purchasing bullet-proof cars for official assignments.

Be that as it may, Princess Oduah was able to leave indelible footprint within a short period she presided over the sector. For instance, the nation’s airports witnessed facelift via remodelling of 22 airports across the six geo-political zones. Additional five new international terminals were being constructed across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kano International Airports simultaneously. Outside these, different perishable goods terminals were in the pipeline. It is very unfortunate that all these landmark projects were aborted immediately Oduah resigned her appointment. It is now obvious that the much-hype about the cars emanated from those who were not happy with her reforms in the industry.

Few years down the line, Nigerians have realised that they threw away the baby with bath water. Aviation reforms project lost its steam with her exit. Years of neglect have returned in full gear. Senator Oduah’s transformational strides which inspired International Standard Organisation (ISO) to recognise Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) in 2013, as the only certified meteorological agency in West Africa is being diminished by the non-sustainability of the aviation road map conceived by her.

Recently, during public hearing of the defunct Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Aviation, representatives of the ministry led by Permanent Secretary, Ms Binta Bello made an emotional statement when she said: “She (Senator Oduah) started a very good job. Every airport was opened up. Well she’s sitting here. She may tell us where she got the funds. But records showed she got the money from intervention funds. Since she left, these intervention funds stopped. We depend on budget—capital project, we got very amount of money which can in no way take care of over 150 projects in our airports”. This assertion sums it up—the Nigerian aviation industry lost its gleam with the exit of Princess Stella Oduah as minister.

Successive ministers of aviation have not found the vision and political will to sustain these reforms because where there are no clearly spelt out vision and mission, the sector is bound to suffer policy convulsions and infrastructural degeneration. If the aviation road map initiated by Senator Oduah was sustained, income capability from aeronautical and non-aeronautical businesses from the remodelled airports would have skyrocketed. This would have helped to boost Nigeria’s economy in the face of dwindling prices of oil in the international market which is grossly affecting the nation.

Income from remodelled airport was estimated to increase by 400 per cent as a result of revenues that would have accrued from the non-aeronautical businesses such as bookshops, eateries, and other business structures that could house banks. The completion of the upgrade of Akanu Ibiam International Airport would have opened up the South-East to world of commercial activities and opportunities, owing to the fact that 80 per cent of Nigerian importers are from this geo-political zone. It could have reduced pressures put on Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by travellers from Eastern region and assist in decongesting Lagos State as the economic capital of Nigeria. Chidiebere wrote from Abuja