AGENDA FOR MR PRESIDENT

Mr President’s agenda for the industry will definitely be determined by the quality of personnel appointed to replace the outgoing minister, senior special assistant in conjunction with the new leadership of the various agencies. They should be professionals who have inclinations that align with the industry’s aspiration, definitely not raw or recurrent politicians.
They should drive the new aviation programme, in the absence of a position or policy trust for the industry during the last electioneering campaign, the onus lies on the new appointees and other stakeholders to push new programmes for implementation.
Therefore we must push policies and strategies that will operationally strengthen our carriers. Airline issues are viewed and operated as an instrument of national strategy and often times integrated vertically across commerce and tourism. It must also be integrated into the country’s foreign policy like the Middle Eastern government are doing with their carriers. Since the demise of Nigeria Airways and the still birth of its replacement, the government has practically abandoned the domestic carriers except for the bailout fund that was recently granted, which is difficult to utilise due to loan re-financing or toxic debt condition attached.
The govt should continue to encourage concession, should not be deterred by the messy agreements in place, rather than cancel them, they should be renegotiated .Concession is more enduring, improves capital accessibility and ensures public funds are directed at essential services.
We are preparing for ICAO audit, with feelers from the mock audit, the country will definitely come out in flying colours, and then we will clap and pat ourselves on the back again. We must go further by complimenting our safety achievement with making the airlines commercially viable and the airport self sustaining, that we must do by drafting and implementing a stand-alone aviation action plan.
The plan should address the rising tax burden, arbitrary fuel price increment, reduce the industry's regulatory burden, improve air traffic &airport management system and attract investments in our carriers.