By Ola Solomon
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, took office amidst a whirlwind of challenges in the aviation sector. The industry grappled with unresolved issues, including the contentious Nigeria Air project, airport concessions, dollar scarcity, high aviation fuel costs, and multiple taxation woes.
Keyamo pledged transparency, teamwork, and selflessness, essential ingredients for achieving President Bola Tinubu’s mandate for the aviation sector. His vision encompassed continuity and improvement, building upon existing foundations. With his extensive background in law and activism, Keyamo brings a unique perspective to the table.
Festus Keyamo did not hide his dissatisfaction over the array of problems militating against the efficiency of the aviation sector. Yet undeterred and armed with a positive mindset, he confronted the myriads of challenges with uncommon dexterity.
Although, there are other underlying issues which include rising airfares, law enforcement, flight delays and cancellations, encroachment on airport land, insufficient transportation services, as well as touting and hawking, the fundamental issues the minister first tackled was the entrenchment of transparency and discipline in all the agencies under the aviation ministry.
Mr Keyamo knew the challenges, and to prove this to industry watchers and Nigerians, he did not waste time to start addressing the fundamentals. Armed with a new roadmap to make the aviation industry work optimally, the minister deployed all his energy and substance to evolve a total overhaul of the sector. Consequently, the new roadmap was tailored to guarantee the growth, development and safety of the Nigerian aviation sector. In this regard, the focus was set on improving airport runways and other critical aviation infrastructure.
One year down the line, the Nigerian aviation sector has witnessed massive modernization, and expansion of existing airport facilities as captured in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Priority is placed on improved aircraft maintenance, safety measures and incident reporting requirements regarding domestic airlines while also ensuring fairness and transparency in ticket pricing for international as well as domestic airlines.
Undoubtedly, Mr Keyamo has demonstrated that he is people-oriented as he sets the tone for effective collaboration with industry stakeholders through the entrenchment of transparency and team spirit as the key objective towards the actualization of the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu for the aviation sector.
To further accentuate Mr Keyamo’s readiness to deliver on the presidential mandate, the aviation ministry has recorded a rare feat in the last year and two months. Notably, the relocation of all airlines from the old terminal of the Murtala Mohamed International Airport MMIA, Lagos was a major and decisive action.
The directive for the relocation by the minister after a facility tour of the airport was long expected, it was long overdue and had in effect reduced overcrowding. The action prompted the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria FAAN to announce the relocation of international flight operations from the old airport terminals to the new terminals thereby making the new terminals fully operational.
It is noteworthy to further establish that the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration is predicated on a viable and sustainable economic bedrock. The administration’s disposition towards private sector-driven engagement is also targeted at enhancing the fortune of the aviation sector, particularly the infrastructures of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN.
For years, the agency battled with challenges of obsolete infrastructure which has frequently heightened safety concerns within the aviation industry. In this regard, the aviation minister has repositioned the agency for a robust private sector-driven engagement to help the sector generate more revenue and provide the needed infrastructure for the good of users of the airport and the country.
Although, Mr Keyamo had identified some flaws in the design of the facility that had rendered the terminal unusable for major international flights; at conception and approval, some of the terminals were planned for all domestic and regional flight operations, however, recent intervention by the aviation minister has brought about enormous development to these terminals.
So far, the aviation sector in the last one has been purposeful and determined to make the best of the situation. For instance, the beautification of airport terminals and the introduction of art galleries are some of the deliberate attempts made to create a standard and cosy environment where people can eat, shop, entertain and in the process fly.
Candidly, the aviation sector in the last year has embraced modernity in its services. At the Murtala Mohamed Airport 2 in Lagos, passengers are treated like kings as they are provided with all manner of entertainment before boarding. Similarly, internet services are also provided to ease communication.
The idea is to give the travellers ultimate comfort while they are within the facility. The President Tinubu administration has indeed remodelled the aviation sector by upgrading the services of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority as well as strengthening the operations of other aviation regulatory agencies to maintain standards in the industry.
Other major achievements in the aviation sector in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, under the supervision of the minister of aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo include the historic partnership with the Nigerian immigration services for the remodelling of the arrival hall of Wing E at the Lagos international airport.
In January, Mr Keyamo had in a bid to curb waste of public resources directed the relocation of FAAN’s headquarters from Abuja to Lagos. Similarly, amidst issues of funds repatriation difficulties which forced many international airlines to close shops in Nigeria, the minister of aviation and aerospace management, Mr Festus Keyamo had in line with President Tinubu’s directive, collaborated with the Central Bank of Nigeria and ensured the clearance of the backlog of trapped funds of foreign airlines. This very important milestone succeeded in boosting the confidence of international airlines in the Nigerian aviation sector.
Today, more and more foreign airlines have reopened operations in Nigeria. Therefore, from the foregoing, experts in the aviation sector are unanimous in their opinion that in no mean time, Nigeria develop a world-class and robust, efficient aviation sector that will help support the development and economic growth of the nation under the watch of President Bolla Ahmed Tinubu.
As Festus Keyamo continues to steer the Nigerian aviation sector towards unprecedented heights, his commitment to transparency, teamwork, and selflessness remains unwavering. With the Renewed Hope Agenda firmly in place, the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry looks brighter than ever. Keyamo’s tireless efforts have not only boosted investor confidence but also enhanced the overall travel experience for Nigerians. As the sector continues to soar, one thing is clear – Festus Keyamo’s legacy in Nigeria’s aviation history is already cemented.
Solomon is a public affairs analyst based in Ikotun, Lagos.