By Stella Obi
Stakeholders in the aviation sector converged on the NIGAV Expo Centre, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, for the Airport Business Summit and Expo (ABSE), to deliberate on how to make Nigeria's Airport viable.
The event which was held from
August 20 to 22, 2024, was organised by the Nigeria Aviation with the theme;
Addressing Airport Viability as Key to Successful Aviation Business Ambition.
The 9th edition of ABSE,
featured business exchange, airport investment opportunity marketing and
lectures designed to enrich participants knowledge on the compliance airport
business climate.
Speaking during the event the
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, reaffirmed
the Federal Governments commitment to enhancing the viability of Nigeria's
airports and their roles in driving the success of the nations aviation sector.
The Minister, represented by
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, emphasized the importance
of sustainable, profitable and efficient airport operators as the foundation
for the aviation industries growth.
He underscored the vital role
that airports play within the broader aviation ecosystem describing them as
hubs of economic activity that connect cities, regions, and countries,
facilitating the global movement of goods and people.
The Minister stated that the
success of airlines and other aviation related businesses is inextricably
linked to the strength and viability of the airports they rely on.
In her presentation titled
Improving Airport Viability through Multi stakeholder Engagement, the Managing
Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku,
emphasized the importance of collaboration in ensuring the sustainability and success
of the nations airports.
In an interview at the event,
Anambra's State Commissioner for Transport, Patricia Igwebuike, said that the
Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport, Umueri, is opened to any viable
business opportunities, saying that the essence of the airport was on cargo and
that the ideology of building an airport at Umueri started in 1979.
Igwebuike noted that there is
work in progress at the airport and it is beautifully situated in Anambra State
as the gateway to the Southeast.
“Everywhere in Anambra State is
a commercial site some states are one-city state but in Anambra, every city,
town is viable, and that viability necessitated the building of the airport,”
she stated.
The Commissioner who mentioned
that the Airport will be three years in December 2024, has done over 5,700
flights and over 343,000 passengers.
Igwebuike further explained
that with the Onitsha River Seaport, the railway, which the State is finishing
the feasibility study and the land transportation, Anambra is keying into the
National Policy on Transportation.
In her remarks Ebonyi State
Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu informed
that the Ebonyi State Government was ready to partner with the Federal
Government on the operations of the States airport.
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