G cnosidering establishing National carrier- Sirika

…To be private sector- driven
Minister of State Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has clarified that the proposed National carrier in the works is going to be private sector- driven, but that government will own between 3-5% equity in the airline.

He made this known at a press conference at the ICAO World Aviation Forum (IWAF) 2017, where he explained that the government went through a series of national carrier ideas, starting with Virgin, but it failed because, it was not thoroughly thought out and planned.

According to Sirika, the National carrier idea was one he took over from President Muhammadu Buhari, who had already put in place a National carrier committee; and all he is doing, is fine-tuning and executing it.

He said,” The national carrier was there before I became minister; and I am just driving an already established idea and bringing it to fruition.

And like we always said, the National carrier is going to be private sector- driven, but that doesn’t mean it will be entirely owned privately, as that is a misconception.

Government is going to own at least three to five per cent equity; and that is the plan. So, it’s a national carrier not a private airline.”

On various criticisms on multiple designations granted airlines and of recent Ethiopian Airline, which operates to five of the country’s international airports, Sirika explained that he was trying to ensure that Nigeria was not left behind when Africa airspace is totally liberalised.

He said it was a good move that would benefit the nation in the long run, especially as the big picture is clear.

On policy somersaults that have been a bane all sectors on the nation’s economic life, Sirika stated that this government has not turned around policies in the industry, but has strategically thought them out to improve them.

” I will not talk about what our predecessors did, they had their plan which they were executing the way they saw fit, we have not jettisoned those plans, we have only made them better; and we will continue to do so.

We are a social democratic party, and so, what we do is people-oriented, which is why our approach to some of the policies we were handed is different,” he explained.

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo