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The Federal Government has created a task force in the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Ministry of Aviation to unlock the economic potential of the aviation sector.
A statement issued by Ifeanyi Nwoko, ICRC’s Acting Head of Media and Publicity on Tuesday in Abuja, said the Federal Government would achieve this through investment in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Nwoko said the decision was the outcome of a courtesy visit by the Director-General of ICRC, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, to the Minister of Aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo.
He said Ewalefoh while highlighting the importance of aviation in galvanising other sectors to foster the economic potential of the country, said the ICRC had set up its task force to fast-track investment in PPPs.
Nwoko said that the minister also set up a similar task force in the ministry to work with the ICRC team for efficient delivery of infrastructure projects through PPP.
He said Nigeria, like many others worldwide, still faced the challenges of funding infrastructure projects, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda emphasised PPPs to enhance infrastructure.
While exemplifying the huge investment possibility in the aviation sector, Ewalefo said that between 2003 and 2019, the Heathrow Airport in the UK got an investment of 16 billion pounds in private sector funds.
According to him, the Nigerian aviation sector holds a lot of investment possibilities without burdening public resources.
Ewalefo also cited the example of Dakar Airport, which had attracted an investment of 575 million dollars, 30 per cent of which was from the Bin Laden Group of Saudi Arabia.
He said that Kenya also had a PPP arrangement that had driven passenger traffic from seven million to 12 million.
Ewalefo stated that Nigeria, with more than 200 million people, should be able to attract the right investments and become the destination hub of the world and a connecting point for Africa.
“We have what it takes, but we need to have the right infrastructure in place.
“That is why we are here to collaborate with you and ensure that all the projects you have conceptualised will come to fruition within the lifetime of this administration.
“The aviation sector is an enabler for the economic development of any nation; it is a means for you to connect all the various infrastructures.
“It is a means to unlock the potential of this country and if we get it right, Nigeria’s story will change,” he said.
The director-general commended the minister for getting the Federal Government to sign the Cape Town Convention Practice Direction after more than10 years of attempts.
He also commended him for resolving the problem with the UAE and having Emirate Airlines fly to Nigeria again.
“We have a lot of projects on your table, and we want to implore you if possible, to set up a task force for us to do this.
“This is because the infrastructure gap in Nigeria is so huge that the normal protocol cannot give us the needed time and speed.
“We need to work day and night and have the right commitment,” he said.
In his response, Keyamo, while corroborating Ewelafo’s position on the need to accelerate PPP projects in the industry, immediately set up a task force to collaborate with the ICRC team.
He said the ministry had achieved some milestones in aviation policy and will focus more on accelerating received PPP proposals.
“So we will bring them to you, we will set timelines for ourselves. For each of these projects we are going to set a timeline,” he said.
Keyamo said that aviation was a sector that had a lot of PPP potential, pointing out that certain projects like the cargo terminals and others that had been marked out would be pursued vigorously.
The minister commended the director-general for being proactive and assured the ICRC of his unfettered collaboration to drive PPP infrastructure in the ministry.
(NAN)
