NCAA: FAAN Needs Urgent Funding To Tackle Obsolete Facilities

• Existing aviation Acts archaic

The pitiable financial situation of the cash cow in the aviation industry, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), came to the fore as the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, appealed to the National Assembly to assist the authority carry out its statutory responsibilities.

Nuhu made the appeal to the Senate through the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, at the just concluded stakeholders and general public hearing on the repeal and enactment of civil aviation bills of all aviation agencies.

Nuhu, who did not disclose the type of assistance he wanted for the agency, said it needed more support to tackle infrastructure deficit at many of the 23 airports across the country.

His words: “FAAN really needs help to maintain the facilities at the airports. From what I have seen during the process to develop protocols for COVID-19; I saw how difficult it was for them to maintain basic equipment.”

In a related development, a former Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Richard Aisubeogun, said the review of the Acts was inevitable and good that they are being revisited.

He disclosed that the existing Acts establishing the agencies, not just FAAN alone, are between three and three and half decades, making them obsolete and one dragging the aviation sector backward.

His words: “If you take a careful look at the Act, especially that of FAAN, it has become obsolete and when it becomes obsolete, it limits and incapacitate the airport authority from carrying out their responsibilities in the most efficient manner, ultimately not even guaranteeing the safety of operations not to talk of the security of the operations.

“So, what we have done is to support the Federal Ministry of Aviation, the Federal Government and by extension, FAAN to  push for the re-enactment of the new bills. There is the need for the funding of airport infrastructure as we speak today. You have to take airport infrastructure to the peak if you want to encourage the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).”

“We need to tackle moribund aviation infrastructure. It will give you leverage even when you want to commercialise or privatise or concession the airports in whatever terms you want to use.

It will give you leverage for strong negotiation power because you have invested in the infrastructure and the equipment of the entire aviation sector industry.

“Unfortunately, government is limited by funds and there are so many things competing with the available resources. Are equipment at the airports are aging. The airport authority needs every kobo to be re-injected back into the infrastructural upgrade of the airports,” he added.

The agency’s quest towards ensuring that it delivers on her vision of being one of the best airport groups in the world remained its major focus, in spite of the dearth of fund available for airport projects.

To this end, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, h as proposed aviation development fund that would assist the sector to address its numerous financial challenges.

The minister had last week said the aviation ministry needed a special aviation development fund to help deal with capital intensive projects.

This, he said, would help provide better safety equipment at the nation’s airports, better passenger comfort and in general, improve the aviation sector which he said currently suffers from inadequate funding.

His call was in response to questions on inadequate safety equipment at airports and perceived indifference of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

He insisted that the proposed aviation development fund would have a friendly interest rate and assist the sector address its numerous financial challenges.

Wole Shadare