‘FG is committed to revamping the entire Aviation architecture in the country’ – Hadi Sirika

The Hon. Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has said that the entire Aviation Sector in the Country is collapsing and the Federal Government is determined to revamp the sector to meet international standard stating that all hands must be on deck to achieve this objective.

Sirika said this when Guillemette Jaffrin and Bayo Oyewole from the World Bank visited him in his Office on Wednesday in Abuja recently to discuss the possibility of World Bank providing support for Project development in the Aviation Sector.

The Minister of State, Aviation stated that since inception of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, ideas and philosophies in Nigeria has changed and gone are the days when Government’s businesses were carried out based on Contactors and Consultants’ wishes. He noted that no responsible Government would allow Contractors and Consultants to dictate how businesses are done to the detriment of the needs of Nigerian populace. “Government is no longer driven by Contactors and Consultants wishes. Activities are driven by needs”. He said.

He stated that the dwindling prices of crude oil in the world market have posed a major constraint to Government in funding infrastructure development hence the need to partner with Investors in the Private Sector. He further said, Government is committed to identifying priority Projects especially in the Aviation Sector and would be willing to work with Investors on a Public Private Partnership Agreement (PPP) to develop critical Infrastructure in the Aviation Sector.

Hadi Sirika urged the World Bank to give Nigeria priority in the consideration of location of Projects because Nigeria has the capacity and potentials in terms of her size and population to benefit from the World Bank Project Implementation Fund for Africa.

Present at the meeting were Engr. Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Managing Director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA), and Capt. Muhtar Usman, Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Dr. Ibrahim Idris, Director Planning Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Transportation.

Yetunde Sonaike (Mrs.)

D (PPR)

Federal Ministry of Transportation,