TheCable

The APC Legacy Awareness and Campaign (APCLAC), a political group, says the aviation sector in Nigeria is undergoing a revolution under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tolu Ogunlesi, a spokesperson for the group, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

The group said the revolution is evident in the investments made in infrastructural development and capacity building in the sector.

APCLAC said Buhari’s effort in the sector can be traced to the launching of aviation roadmap in May 2016 which included the establishment of a national carrier, development of agro-allied and cargo terminals.

It said the roadmap is aimed at transforming the sector in terms of safety, infrastructure and economic viability.

“Nigeria’s aviation industry is undergoing revolution under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration,” the statement reads.

“Since the launching of the aviation roadmap, the Ministry of Aviation has focused on implementation.

“In terms of infrastructure, the new terminals of Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano International Airports, inherited from the previous administration, had been completed.

“The new Lagos terminal is very close to completion, brand new runways have been constructed at the Abuja and Enugu International Airports, in 2017 and 2020, respectively.”

The political group said a significant portion of the investment in the aviation sector had been focused on resolving issues and bridging gaps inherited from previous administrations.

It said an example is the payment of pensions owed to staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways.

“Buhari had approved that the backlog of almost 20 years be cleared,” the statement says.

The group noted that under Buhari’s administration, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) have acquired several new training aircraft, and had been recognised globally by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

It said NCAT had been provided with a brand new Boeing 737 full flight simulator, as well as a fully automated fire and smoke aircraft training simulator.

The APC group noted that Nigerian personnel would no longer be sent to Cameroon for training on tackling aircraft fires and smoke.

It added that the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) had also been provided with a world class flight safety laboratory.

“This means that airplane recorders, popularly known as Black Box, no longer have to be sent abroad for analysis,” it reads.

“Furthermore, the AIB is now actively providing technical support and services to other African countries, including assisting Sierra Leone to set up its own Accident Investigation Agency, in 2021.

“On the matter of the new private sector-led National Carrier, the Minister of Aviation has assured that the establishment process is still on course, with a target commencement date for operations in March 2022.

“To mitigate the negative impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the sector, the Federal Government in 2020 released the sum of N5 billion in bailout funds.”