Hadi Seriki, a former minister of aviation, was involved in a number of scandals towards the latter part of his term. One significant problem was the contentious debut of Nigeria Air, the country’s flag airline, on his final day in office. Industry insiders think that when the former minister retired, he left the aviation industry with a number of issues that Festus Keyamo, his successor, must now address and resolve.Industry insiders believe the incoming aviation minister should pick up where his predecessor left off by abandoning the proposed national airline and concentrating on enhancing airport infrastructure and overhauling the industry as a whole.
And on Thursday, Keyamo announced the suspension of the Nigeria Air project and airport concession in quick response to stakeholders’ requests. During a visit to the Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the minister made this disclosure.
Keyamo stated that he will transition from complicated topics to complaints that are common to all Nigerians.
“They may not be aware of the work we are doing in the background to ensure safety, but in general, people are appreciative of the things they notice every day, such as how clean the environment is and how early their flights are, among other things.
“We must always prioritize the needs of the populace. Starting tomorrow, I want to start receiving briefings from the directors and then from the agencies. The briefing schedule need to be created by the permanent secretary, he said.
Bankole Bernard, the former president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents, emphasizes the necessity for the next minister to reform the aviation industry, support capacity development, and uphold consistent engagement with stakeholders.
“We are equally pleased to hear that he stated he will pick off where his processor left off, but with great transparency throughout the industry.
“We want to call his attention to the fact that there are three sectors in the aviation industry. The aviation industry is divided into three different segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream. We will counsel him to pay attention to each area because they are all interconnected and will be necessary for the industry’s necessary growth, he said.
Olayinka Abioye, the leader of the aviation labor movement, asked Keyamo to remove his toga of indifference and replace it with that of “the well-cultured, civilized gentleman that he is.” He emphasized how important it was for the minister to thoroughly research the sector. “He will have all of our backing, without exception. That he is personable and attentive to concerns about the safety and security of the Nigerian Airspace makes my heart happy, he said.
According to Mr. Adeola Fadairo, an aviation specialist, the sector anticipates that the incoming Minister of Aviation would recalibrate the industry’s infrastructure and opaque business practices.
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