The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has stressed the need for private investment in the aviation sector to ensure efficiency and growth in the industry.
Sirika said this on Tuesday in Abuja, at a two-day Africa Public Private Partnership Network (AP3N) Investment programme, with the theme, “Financing Africa’s Infrastructure through PPP.
The programme was organised by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
The minister, represented by Mr Akin Olateru, the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), said the ministry had commenced the implementation of an Aviation Roadmap to attract private capital and expertise.
He said the private capital and expertise would help to establish, operate and maintain aviation-related business and infrastructure needed for the actualisation of the potential of the industry.
Sirika said that as part of the ministry’s proposed pipeline, the projects that had been rolled out includethe concession of airports, establishment of a national carrier, and creating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and jobs.
He said others were the establishment of an aviation leasing company, the establishment of a maintenance, repair and overhaul centre, the development of airport cities (Aerotropolis) and the development of cargo/agro-allied airport terminals.
Sirika said other additional projects being developed by the ministry included airport upgrade, safety and security and commercialisation, improvement of CNS systems and capacity building, and enhancing training capability.
Others he said were the designation of the airports as free zones, establishment of an aerospace and Aviation University, and upgrade of aviation search and rescue unit.
According to him, upon implementation of the roadmap, it is estimated that 72,300 jobs will be created, that is 9,100 direct jobs and 63,200 indirect jobs within three years and with twenty aircraft.
“In implementing this roadmap with private sector participation, the potential and opportunities abound, especially in job creation and infrastructure development which in turn attracts foreign investment and ease of doing business in Nigeria.”
The minister said the government must make the process simple for private investors to nurture and grow.
He, however, said that the government needed to get the process right so that the benefits of the partnership could be harnessed.
“If we do not get the process right, we lose the value. It is a huge task but we must do it.”
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the AP3N is a network of Public Private Partnership (PPP) units and practitioners across the African Continent.
It was established out of a greater realisation and consensus of the need for collaboration between African PPP units for the achievement of Africa’s infrastructure development.
The network is designed to serve as a knowledge and experience-sharing forum to upscale the learning curve of PPP public officers at the continental level of government. (NAN)
