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Aviation is a key part of the economic lifeblood of Africa. It supports 6.9 million jobs and $80 billion in GDP. It carries people and goods across and outside the continent, and brings in economic investment, tourism, trade and aid. Aviation in Africa is promising. Over the next two decades African aviation is forecast to grow at 5.4 percent a year—nearly tripling in size. The continent’s top ten fastest growing markets are growing at an…

Should Nigeria float a national airline or not? This project is gaining currency by the day. WOLE SHADARE writes that there is no better time than now to float a national airline The big question Each time people fly airlines of other countries, what readily comes to mind is, why can’t Nigeria have its own carrier? The debate around a national for the country is gaining currency by the day just as the government has…

  Their situation is very pathetic; one that you would never wish for even your enemy. They looked dejected with abject poverty playing a wry smile on their faces. They are former Nigeria Airways workers. They served the airline and the country with dedication and commitment. Many of them are dying daily waiting for their final entitlements 13 years after the airline was liquidated. At their number 10 Afisman Drive secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos, over a hundred…

  By Stephen Oche   Salamatu Eluma was until recently the Director of Human Resources at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN. That was until the Federal government approved a management reorganization which moved her, in the same position, along with other affected staff, from FAAN to sister organization, the Accident and Investigation Bureau, AIB But rather than toe the path of honour and obedience to lawful authority, Salamatu  Eluma has been going about…

Not a few believed that solving Nigeria’s aviation problem is not rocket science and one that is very achievable. Like magic, sanity seems to be returning to Nigeria’s premier airport, the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, courtesy Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s executive orders, which tend to seek ways to ease difficulty in doing business in the country.   First was resolving the chaotic and not too straight forward issuance of visa on arrival for foreigners coming…

By Mathew Adedayo It is an indisputable fact that the aviation industry in Nigeria is in dire straits. This is a reflection of the inefficiency, lack of foresight, mismanagement and corruption in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which have forced the Federal Government to demote, dismiss and asked many workers in the agency to refund some monies. Also, the stifling economic recession that is forcing government to offer for sale some national assets,…

The Federal Government penultimate week took a far reaching step to sanitise the aviation industry, particularly the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) where over 22 Directors, General Managers, Deputy General Managers and others who were said to have been sneaked into the agencies by a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah were asked to go, or demoted.   The action was roundly applauded because of many years of injustice where majority of the people…

By Tayo Ojuri Among news currently making headlines in the Aviation sector is the recent move by the Cross-River State Government to launch a state-owned airline “Cally Air” in partnership with Dana Group. While this move is lauded as a step in the right direction towards boosting the state’s tourism, certain factors must be brought to light in the interest of sustainable development. It is imperative to understand the rational and economics of airline operations…

 By Olumide Ohunayo   The Minister of State for aviation should, as a matter of urgency, convene a Stakeholders’ Conference that will draft and present a National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP}. We need the policy to tackle common bottlenecks to propel Nigerian aviation. The new policy should reflect liberalisation and be pro-growth. Some countries have done it. India’s new NCAP is designed to empower carriers negotiate commercial partnerships with little or no interference from the regulator,…