BEVERLY HILLS, May 19 (THEWILL) – The Federal Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently disclosed that a new national airline is underway in Nigeria. This is coming more than a decade after the former Nigeria Airways was liquidated.
President Muhammadu Buhari first dropped the hint during his electioneering campaign in 2015. With the federal government’s appointment of advisers to midwife the national carrier project, there is a renewed hope that the plan would be a reality.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was reported to have disclosed that the sum of N1.52 billion has been approved to fund the takeoff of the project.
This is a welcome development as it would deepen healthy competition in the aviation sector, and also create a broader spectrum in local and international routes for the travelling public to choose from.
At a time when Nigeria is in dire need of foreign direct investments to boost its struggling economy, a national airline to address the travelling needs of prospective investors becomes imperative, even if it is to save foreign investors from the Far East, North America and Asia the rigours of procuring transit visas from their countries to Nigeria.
Similarly, the direct and indirect job opportunities which a national airline would create in the country makes the takeoff of the project one to look forward to since the country greatly needs anything that promises to reduce the burgeoning unemployment rate in the country. Having a new national carrier would create employment for the army of unemployed youths across the country, given that the moribund Nigeria Airways employed about 8,500 staff, and provided support services to individuals and organisations.
However, THEWILL insists that the proposed national carrier must not go the way of the Nigeria Airways. If the new airline must be successful, we proposed as suggested by authorities a public/private sector partnership modeled after the NLNG partnership. This has been the only proven model in Nigeria that guarantees sustainability and growth of government owned investments.
One of the factors that contributed to wreaking the Nigeria Airways was the free tickets and services extended to the airline’s staff, family members and government officials.
To treat the proposed airline as another ‘national cake’ that every tribe must exploit would be a disservice to the nation. Efforts must also be made for the planned national carrier not to be used for political exigencies and party grandstanding.
It is only when the looting, corruption and wastages that characterized the dead Nigeria Airways are avoided that the proposed airline would be able to compete with similar national carriers as Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and Kenya Airways among others. If the airlines of these smaller countries can succeed and even be operating in Nigeria, there should be no reason why Nigeria cannot float and sustain a national carrier that would dominate the airways of Africa and beyond.
In setting up the concern, THEWILL urges the Federal Government to abide by the recommendations of the technical advisers, which was mandated to consult with the international community and the private sector. This is important so that it could be run successfully under the proposed public-private partnership.
Our advise is that due diligence should be followed so that the proposal does not suffer the same hiccups brought about by the privatization of the old carrier, which Arik Air had bought over.
This is important, especially if the plan of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, to acquire Arik Air and Aero Contractors, two domestic airlines grounded due to heavy debts profile, is accomplished. Although AMCON has denied Arik’s Air liquidation, the Nigeria Airways’ property, which it acquired across the world, should be utilized to give the proposed airline a sound footing.
While THEWILL fully supports the establishment of the new airline, stakeholders must not fail to adopt safety and maintenance practices, as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO.
The Nigeria Airways, which ruled the skies from 1958 to 2003, was liquidated over mismanagement and a huge debt of $78 million (N23.8 billion). As arrangements are geared up for a new one, THEWILL urges the Federal Government to look into the severance packages of the defunct airways workers who were not paid before the liquidation.
From the outset, provisions must be made for the regular maintenance of the aircrafts to be acquired for the planned airline. An enabling environment must be created for world-class professionals to profitably manage it.
The airline should not only adopt recommended Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, MRO practices, but should equally respect other bilateral agreements. International best practices should be the watchword.
Similarly, THEWILL calls for an upgrade of facilities at Nigeria’s international airports to meet up with international safety standards. The business of airport management should not be left solely in government hands. We propose a kind of structure that will allow the private and government partner in developing airport infrastructure across the nation. This is the only way to grow and expand Nigeria’s aviation sector as the nation seeks to become the dominant hub in Africa with the launch of a new national carrier.
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