I’m under pressure to set up national carrier – Buhari

I’m under pressure to set up national carrier – Buhari

• West, Central Africa have worst aviation connections – AfDB

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received the delegation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) World Aviation Forum in the Presidential Villa

ICAO is in the country for the World Aviation Forum (IWAF), scheduled to hold from Tuesday and Wednesday in Abuja.

This is even as he has been told that Nigeria is among the West and Central Africa countries with worst airline connections in the world.

Buhari emphasized the determination of his administration to speed up the improvement of aviation infrastructure in the country for the benefit of the country’s economic development.

He  declared his total support and commitment to work with regulatory agencies in the aviation sector to make air travel safer throughout the country.

The president, who received three awards recently won by Nigeria from ICAO, expressed delight with the high ranking accorded Nigeria in safety and security at the airports, following measures put in place to address gaps in airport security.

On the setting up of a national airline, President Buhari said he was under tremendous pressure from many patriotic Nigerians desirous of establishing one.

“I equally support a national airline for both patriotic and economic reasons. We have enough trained citizens including pilots and engineers.  But Nigerians need to know how we lost the one we had before,” he said, referring to the defunct Nigeria Airways.

The delegation was led by President ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, included the Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and industrialization of the African Development Bank, Pierre Guislain and The Secretary General,  African Commission for Civil Aviation, Iyabo Sosina and the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

Guislain told State House Correspondents after the meeting with Buhari that the West and Central Africa are the worst air connected regions in Africa and probably in the world.

According to him, ADB is keen to support financing of aviation infrastructure on the continent, hence its participation in the Aviation Forum which Nigeria is hosting for the first time.

He said “The forum has interesting topic: “The Financing of Aviation Infrastructure,” the AfDB is keen to be part of that process, we are keen to work with government, Organizations, private sector, lenders, to help finance aviation infrastructure on the continent.

“West and Central Africa are the worst connected regions in Africa and probably in the world. So there are specific challenges here that we are keen to meet and to help other African and international stakeholders meet.” he said

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika said that the purpose of the forum in Nigeria is to connect needs and sources of financing for member states.

He said “Nigeria will not be left behind. There is World Bank, Boeing, Airbus, African Development Bank, and so on and so forth. Nigeria will not seat by, we will take advantage of this opportunity to close some deals if we can or at least agree to something and sign some MOUs regarding not only the national carrier but financing of other infrastructural needs of the country.

“This is very important to us and we are grateful to ICAO for agreeing to host the forum in Nigeria. We will make sure we make, progress before we depart.”

Speaking on some of the specific achievements that qualified Nigeria to host the forum,  Sirika said, “We have been working since we came, Aviation is beyond robust airport or carrier, there is a lot more. What is more important is how safe you take off from one point and land safely on the other point.

“The civil aviation center Zaria is now called Nigeria Aviation College of Technology, has become regional, center of excellence, one of the best in the world, not more thN 20of their kind around the world. This is a p,us for this administration that we took it there.

“For the first time ever Nigeria has certified two of its airports, Abuja and Lagos according to the standards and the recommended practices of international civil aviation organization. For me this is a great achievement.