Minister Festus Keyamo highlights Nigeria’s potential as Africa’s leading aviation market, citing its strategic position and growth opportunities.
According to Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Nigeria continues to be the most promising aviation market across Africa.
He suggested that given the potential to become an African aviation hub, it is crucial for the country to begin opening its market to attract investors who can contribute to enhancing its infrastructure.
“Nigeria stands out as the most promising country in Africa for aviation, boasting the continent’s largest population and highest traffic. It’s ideally suited to become a hub in Africa,” Keyamo stated on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. “Therefore, we should start attracting people to visit.”
When questioned about his decision to host an airshow in the country despite the aviation infrastructure not being fully developed, the minister explained that while Nigeria has yet to address all its challenges, it can still strive to promote itself and attract investors.
He believes that the only path forward for infrastructure is to attract private investors, as budgetary allocations are insufficient to support the extensive infrastructure plan.
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He mentioned, “The president has wisely established something we refer to as the Renewed Hope Fund. However, this fund will only offer partial financing and not cover all expenses for major infrastructure projects. So, what is our plan of action?”
We have traveled globally and attended airshows in various countries, but Nigeria has yet to host one. An airshow serves as an opportunity for investors to showcase their products within the country.
Regarding the activities of security personnel at Nigerian airports, Keyamo expressed that the aviation ministry is troubled by reports of passenger harassment.
He stated that his ministry has raised a complaint about the issue with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
“We have raised this issue with the National Security Adviser due to our concerns about Nigerians facing harassment. I want to clarify that it’s not related to aviation or me, Keyamo; even though I’m frequently tagged in such complaints. For instance, ‘someone just asked for a bribe from me,’ but these incidents involve individuals from another agency,” explained Keyamo during the program.
“They constantly tag me, but it’s not really about me or aviation. We need to file complaints with the office of the national security adviser since they are actively addressing this issue.”
The Minister also revealed that the NSA has procured approximately 1,000 body cameras for security agencies to improve monitoring activities at the airports.
