AFARN wants Keyamo to address aviation industry challenges

BY CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO

The Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), has urged the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr Festus Keyamo to address the challenges facing the industry comprehensively, highlighting the importance of safety compliance, infrastructure development, and human capacity optimization.

In a chat with newsmen in Lagos, President of AFARN, Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma expressed optimism about the minister’s proactive approach since assuming office and emphasized the significance of the aviation sector to national development.

He said, AFARN focus are on key issues within the aviation industry, including the perennial scarcity of aviation fuel, high exchange rates, and the resolution of funds owed to foreign airlines.

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Notably, AFARN emphasized the need for the minister’s attention to safety issues, particularly in light of the prevailing insecurity in Nigeria.

Dr. Nwokoma underscored the Association’s willingness to support the administration in the short, medium, and long term, stressing the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to make aviation practice in the country more robust.

Overall, he highlighted AFARN’s supportive stance towards the minister while playing up the pressing issues and collaborative efforts required for the growth and prosperity of the aviation sector in Nigeria.

The AFARN’s President assured of its commitment to hosting its Annual Safety Summit, reinforcing the Association’s dedication to advancing safety campaigns and contributing to the overall development of the aviation industry.

AFARN also called on the federal government to enter into a negotiated agreement with the foreign airlines whose funds are trapped in the country on how they can get their funds remitted to them on quarterly basis.

Nwokoma said the agreement will restore the confidence of the airlines in Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business policy being propagated by the federal government and prevent some of the airlines from leaving the country.

Speaking on the inability of the foreign airlines to remit their money to their respective countries, Dr Nwokoma said the recent release of 61 million dollars to the affected airlines is ” like a drop in the ocean. It has not addressed the huge debt burden the airlines have been exposed to. Some of the airlines may be forced to leave Nigeria if this issue is not quickly resolved.The airlines are using money made from other countries to finance their operations in Nigeria.”

“I will suggest the federal government should sit down with the foreign airlines to negotiate quarterly payment of the outstanding funds This will ease the payment burden on the government and also assure the airlines that the government is sincere in her promise that the airlines will get their full money from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

On the current state of the aviation sector, Dr Nwokoma said It is customary for AFARN as a body to review the activities in the aviation industry each year that passes and to also set agenda in the new year for “those saddled with enormous responsibility of our aviation growth and development which everyone knows is key to our national development, as a leading player in the African sub-region”.

“Clearly we are in tone with the appointment of the current aviation minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, by the federal government who, for months now have assumed office and have also hit the ground running, with a promise to reform the aviation industry, for the common good.

Although, the aviation sector had witnessed avalanche of ministers, with some of them found to promote policies that inhibited growth and discouraged local entrepreneurs. We expect a paradigm shift in the new dispensation given the premium placed on the aviation industry by the federal government”.

“We urge the minister to take holistic look at the aviation sub- sector with a view to finding lasting and permanent solution to the perennial scarcity of aviation fuel, currently sold as high as #700 per litre, even more, high exchange rate of the naira to US dollar, resolution of the long standing problems of remittance of funds owed the foreign airlines.

“As safety campaigners also, we want to see in clear terms the manifestation of the Honourable ministers promise on strict compliance with national laws and regulations ; and international obligations, improvement and development of infrastructure for passenger convenience of local Airline Businesses, Human Capacity Development and optimization of Revenue Generation. Worthy of mentioning here also is the fact that, the Honourable Minister should as a matter of deep concern beam his search light on safety issues, starting from checkmating the influx of those who troops to the airports without genuine business concerns. Although FAAN has remained upbeat in warding off undesirable elements at the airports but more still needs to be done to avoid safety breach that may not augur well for the country especially this time Nigeria is challenged by insecurity.

“Without being immodest, AFARN is ever ready to lend it’s support whether in the short, medium and long term to the present administration. Through this auspicious time also, we want to announce that, our Annual Safety Summit shall be coming up early in the year.”