Nigerian Aviation Over the Past Seven Years

In less than five months, on May 29, 2023 precisely, the current government led by Muhammadu Buhari will step down to make way for a new government to continue managing the Nigerian project, thus ending the eight-year term of office years of the government and its policies.

One of the unique aspects of the Buhari-led government that will remain a point of reference for some time is the fact that over the years the country's aviation sector has been able to enjoy stability thanks to the freedom of action granted to the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to manage the sector.

Sirika's eight-year tenure, which made him the longest-serving minister, is quite different from previous experiences where ministers changed frequently to the detriment of growth and development of the sector.

One thing that the Buhari government will be remembered for is its decision to encourage stability, as evidenced by the steady growth in tenure of agency chief executives and that of the minister.

As expected, the retention of the Minister especially for the long period resulted in lofty achievements recorded by the sector which positively contributed to the low growth recorded.

Some of these positive trends recorded over the past seven and a half years include the upgrading of the runway at Abuja airport after so many years of neglect, the installation of the lighting system of the aerodrome on the inner runway of Lagos Airport, which was also abandoned for about 15 years.

In the history of the sector, the Buhari government remains number one in the area of ​​effective accident/incident investigation and prompt publication of reports of such accidents, including reports of accidents that occurred before the accident. arrival of this government.

Under the government, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) reached its peak with records of achievement which gained international recognition with many countries around the world seeking its assistance in accident investigation .

The main achievement of the office has been its recent transformation into a multi-modal investigative body which now enables it to investigate accidents involving roads, railways and navies.

The completion of many airport terminals started by previous governments and the opening of such terminals as the one in Lagos is on the positive side but with its error.

Also during the period, despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with its global financial security implications, new domestic airlines joined the business.

The sector, however, has witnessed torrents of negative impacts attributable to unpopular government policies through the minister who has largely rolled back the wheel of the sector's progress.

These controversial policies include back-and-forth promises to launch a new national carrier with the huge public funds devoted to it, which has unfortunately become a case for litigation.

The nonchalant attitude of the government in its almost eight years of playing aeropolitics with foreign countries in an effort to protect national airlines from international conspiracy is a low price.

The government's inability to review the country's more than 100 lopsided air travel agreements, which have proven to be disadvantageous to the country, remains a major drawback. Despite calls for a review of the agreements, the government, through the minister, continued to sign other agreements with reckless abandon.

The lack of transparency adopted by the government in pursuing its airport concession plans, rather than adding value to the system, has become a contentious concern for major players.

The failure to settle the more than $600 million belonging to the more than 27 foreign airlines that have found themselves trapped in Nigeria with the international embarrassment of being labeled the airlines' largest debtor is another major drawback.

Throughout the administration of the government, all hopes of empowering local airlines through friendly policies such as provision of foreign currency, access to cheap and available aviation fuel, the reduction of taxes and the revision of loose frequencies and multiple entry points distributed to foreign carriers at the expense of local airlines are among the evils that continue to plague the sector.

All this and the dictatorial tendency of the minister as evidenced by many projects he proposed to carry out and in which many key players described as undemocratic and shrouded in secrecy will be remembered even after the exit of this government.

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