… FG Targets $1 Trillion Economy, Says Airport Concessioning On Course
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has announced the hosting of Nigeria International Airshow come April 2025 in Lagos saying that the event will open and unlock the country’s vast potentials to the world even as President Bola Tinubu is targeting a $1 trillion economy.
The Minister who disclosed this on Thursday at a press briefing in Abuja said efforts are on course to concession the nation’s airports assuring aviation unions that there will be no job loss as the process will take on all liabilities into consideration.
He identified some of the key features of the airshow as aircraft display, airshow, B-B matchmaking, panel sessions, industry awards and innovates pavilion among others as well as exhibiting sectors as obtained in international climes.
“It is my pleasure to announce that the Ministry of Aviation will be championing the hosting of a Nigeria International Airshow to be held in Lagos next year, 2025. We expect this to happen in the first quarter of 2025 and in subsequent briefings we will announce the exact dates.
“But today is just to roll out the vision, let the world know that we are ready to roll on this massive programme and invite the world also to key into this great initiative. It is the first time that an international airshow will hold in Nigeria.
“We all know what airshows are all
over the world, those who have attended airshows. We have been privileged to attend airshows in very advanced countries and we know how those shows are organized. It brings together all stakeholders in the aviation industry. It is a place where people also cross-pollinate ideas too, very modern ideas regarding aviation in the field of aviation.
“Some of the biggest names in aviation will come to Nigeria. They will be displaying their services, displaying their products also.
It is intended to project Nigeria as the place where the next big things will happen in aviation in Africa,” the Minister said.
The Nigeria airshow will take advantage of the country’s geographical location which position Nigeria as aviation Africa and global destination
“We recognize our potentials as a nation, we recognize our
geographical significance. I have said it over and over in my different engagements that God has just blessed Nigeria naturally in terms of its geographical location. That location puts us in a prime position to be the hub in Africa, even the hub in the world, because we are just straight down the North Pole. That is why the farthest part of the world on the left is almost equidistant to the farthest part of the world on the right, with Nigeria being at the middle, also in Africa. That is good for aviation too, in terms of being a hub for both transit passengers and also for aviation activities.
Keyamo said Nigeria is taking a step further to reposition the country globally after signing the Recordation of Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorization (IDERA).
“We have made a significant stride in the aviation industry and that has opened up so many windows of opportunities for our local operators in Nigeria.
“I have also gone ahead, we have signed IDERA, and in a few weeks to come, or a few days to come, we are going to hold an all stakeholders conference to distribute copies of the gazettes. A version of the Cape Town Convention and the advisory IDERA we have signed. That has opened up a lot of windows of opportunities for our local operators.
“We want to capitalize on this by following it up with an air show and invite the world to come to Nigeria to see our potentials, to host the world. Like I said, our partners in this venture is a proud Nigerian company called Airshow Nigeria International Limited, headed by Mrs. Bryan Okonkwo We are collaborating with them.
They are also driving the project with the blessing of the ministry,” he said.
He said his ministry through the event will be leveraging on ECOWAS African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to promote free trade within the African region as well as the single African air transport market, which seeks to promote a single African sky where there will be no restriction within the African continent in terms of movements of goods and services through aviation, through the sky.
“We want to unlock potentials in Africa, in Nigeria, by leveraging these two key African policies There are two key
African policies that we also seek to promote by organizing this air show, too.”
On infrastructural challenge, the Minister said; “We still face challenges here, of course. Infrastructural challenges in Nigeria.
But this also helps to let people come and see the kind of potentials we have, so that they can also see how they can collaborate with us to develop our infrastructure.”
On airport concessioning, Keyamo maintained that;”We have said it time and time again that we want to concentrate on our efforts. We are going public. And I have said this over and over again, but whilst we are doing this, we are going to ensure that the unions are carried along. We want to ensure that we protect our workers.
“There will be no loss of jobs.
Those who are coming for the concession must also be ready to take on the liabilities, too, in terms of the workforce and so on and so forth. The airport itself will be on display for marketing. So we are marketing our efforts for people to come and collaborate with us. So it will be a powerful platform to advance these efforts.
“This will go beyond aviation. It will also promote the economic activities within Nigeria.
At a time when Mr. President says we want to run a $1 trillion economy, Mr. President wants to develop this economy to be a $1 trillion economy, it is possible.
“So it will transcend aviation.
It will also affect transport, tourism, cargo, defense and technology. It will also affect these areas of the economy. So, this is a call for action.
Stakeholders, friends of Nigeria, we welcome all of you. And we urge all of you to join hands with us to ensure that we have a successful Nigeria international airshow,`the Minister stressed.
