Nigeria: Safety challenges threaten nation’s aviation business ...Analysts blame government interference, others

As Nigeria prepares to join twenty most economic successful nations by the year 2020, it has been observed that issues in its aviation sector, which is the gateway to the nation’s economy, may hamper such a dream if not quickly addressed.

Its safety challenges, such as poor infrastructure; poor funding; violation of contract pact; undue interference in civil aviation regulations among others, which are currently not being well addressed, pose a serious problem to investment opportunities that would eventually place Nigeria among the comity of nations.

Identifying and proffering solutions to these challenges, Akinbolaji Oni, managing director, Bristow Helicopters, Nigeria, at the inaugural lecture by Aviation Associates Club (AAC) in Lagos, noted with dismay that all the foreign airlines on the globe wanted to operate one flight or the other into Nigeria because of the economic opportunities that abound in its air transport, yet the challenges of critical infrastructure and financing are there to cope with.

According to him, “Nigeria does not need to have shining, new gigantic facilities to cope with the rising traffic or the system as long as the existing facilities are well maintained. “Although government has in recent times invested in some safety facilities in the country, we still see other competing sectors that need attention, yet aviation remains critical to the economy, this is a big challenge,” he said.

To him, a situation whereby contract agreements in the sector are not implemented to the letter by concerned parties, such always result in reducing the level of confidence of foreign investors. “Talking about Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the sector, where there is no sanctity of contract which is expected to reduce the risk level in investment, there will be no Direct Foreign Investment (DFI); we need to work on this if there must be a change,” Oni said.

While frowning at circumstances where governments change civil aviation regulations and interfere in technical activities at will, he said such, sometimes, lead agencies and airlines to cut corners while they wait for accident to happen.

According to him, “Although Nigeria is now an exception, most African countries Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) are not autonomous and this is an impediment to safety in developing countries where government put pressure on CAAs.”

He, however, suggests that all airlines should go through the International Operational Safety Audit of IATA for better monitoring, adding that there is also the need to improve safety management from person to person.

Harold Demuren, director general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), noted that aviation has become the engine room for economic growth, insisting there must be improvement upon safety and security at the airports.

He frowned at a situation where for instance, the contract for the resurfacing of Lagos airport runway was awarded without the airfield lighting, adding that such oversight must be corrected. For over three years, the runway used by domestic airlines at the Lagos Airport has been without airfield lighting, hampering night landing and take off from the domestic wing of the airport.

He insisted that for safety and coordination purposes, all airlines must join the International Air Transport Association (IATA) clearing house in order to monitor their operations in line with international standards.

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