FG must support Aviation Sector to achieve objectives -Expert

Aviation Expert and Policy Analyst, Baba Yusuf, has called on the Federal Government to do whatever is necessary to support practitioners in the Aviation Sector and ensure the development of the Nations’ Aviation Sector.

Mr Yusuf was speaking to Mike Okwoche and Veronica Dan-Ikpoyi on TVC News’s Breakfast Show on the implication of setting up a national Carrier and the battle around it.

He said the fundamental objectives of setting up a national Carrier is to develop a nations’ Aviation sector through the enhancement of capacity, empowerment of practitioners and the general Aviation Value Chain.

He also called for some steps to be taken to ensure that the objective of setting up a National or Flag Carrier is not defeated.

He disclosed that the practitioners within the Aviation Sector have all come to the realisation that their is an urgent need to set up a National or Flag carrier within the Aviation Sector but said the How’s and When of it is the main sticking point that should be thrashed out.

He also called on Government to create an environment of constructive and critical engagement with all stakeholders to ensure that the current impasse is not repeated.

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“We need to set up some caveat, this matter is already in Court and is slated for hearing tomorrow so that we can skirt against the issue of the Law.

“Its Okay for the Government to start removing its hands from doing business and focusing on the issue of governance.

People do not have any issue with the idea of setting up a National carrier but maybe the modalities of setting it up, i will be focusing more on how we got here”

“What the government has done in the Aviation Sector by the current administration is commendable but we need to put this in perspectives, Senator Hadi Sirika has done well on the Sectoral development of the Aviation Sector”

“What is being done is a very good move for all stakeholders and should be commended”

“Fundamentally the idea of setting up a flag carrier i think is part of things that should address the issues that led to the downfall of Nigerian Airways number 1 and the reason why presently the concerns of stakeholders that this particular process of setting up a flag carrier should be gotten right from the onset”

This will ensure that history does not repeat itself again albeit in a different colour or format, bottomline, the flag carrier is a welcome development is the way to go, however records have shown that the modelling of national carriers or in this case flag carrier failed if not properly set up from the beginning and that is where i will talk to us about critical success factors which to my mind i believe should be the integrity and transparency of the processes and transactions and two the Legal framework, you know what i considered a win win for the Stakeholders in the short to the long run and the model also to be adopted even in this case with regard to the flag carrier should be that it will impact positively on the Socio Economic situation or development of Nigeria and Nigerians.

The First one should be from the project management perspective should be the project execution quotient, to deliver the project in a way and manner that it fits into the over arching strategy and also the focal points objectives set from the beginning to ensure first of all proper set up, management operations and sustainability short to long term of the project, the last but not the least Critical Stakeholders engagement from beginning to the end across the value chain to ensure their is buy in which may be part of what we are seeing over this matter now”

“To be correct again we are not doing National Carrier but flag Carrier however you ant to look at it, i wouldn’t want to frontally answer that question because doing that may delve into the crux of the matter before my Lord Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, however having a National Carrier or a flag Carrier as the case maybe is a function of the overall National Aviation growth Strategy to key into an overall National Development plan or Strategy, we agree in the industry that it is time to have a flag carrier, however maybe the how and when are the issue and as a stakeholder i think we should be be sure footed and moving in the right direction at the end of the day if we have a flag carrier or a national carrier as the case may be within the overall Social Economic objective ambit”

“What works for Nigeria is getting back to the objective of setting up a National Carrier for example in the first place, what are the reasons we need to have a flag carrier for instance, to boost the aviation sector, encourage stakeholders within the sector, enable and empower those within the Aviation Sector, to also support local content in terms of Business, in terms of technical know how and i think those are the critical objectives of setting up of a flag carrier, the hows and the when like i said should be what should be focus on to ensure that it is a success”

“The timing of the flag carrier the Nigerian Airways has gone under many years ago and the World did not come to an end, the rush to have a flag carrier now to my mind may at the end of the day negate the laudable objective intended for setting up a national carrier in the first place”

“We need to continue to support operators in the entire Aviation Value Chain, Airlines and the support groups to ensure they grow”

“We should work to make the playing field level for all players within the sector, we have to ensure those who have the capacity are able to compete effectively in the Aviation Sector”

“Whatever should be done or is done about Aviation development in all Other Countries must be done in Nigeria”