google.com, pub-3998556743903564, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Aviation Experts Gather In Lagos To Chart Path For Nigeria's Airports Viability

Aviation Experts Gather In Lagos To Chart Path For Nigeria's Airports Viability

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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