Nigerian Minister of aviation Senator Hadi Sirika has urged aviation stakeholders to tighten their belts and device means by which the sector will adapt and operate efficiently with COVID 19 pandemic, inferring that COVID 19 might linger for a while.
He said this was necessary as the sector could not afford to take back seat nor derail from the implementation of the roadmap of the Ministry.
According to Senator Sirika, “The aviation sector in 2020 was the worst affected by the pandemic. This happened at a time when the sector became, in 2019, the fastest-growing sector of the Nigerian economy, signifying that our modest effort and Roadmap is not only on the right direction but yielding the right results.”
“I noticed that included in the retreat objectives was a discussion on issues and challenges on the implementation of the aviation Roadmap. I will urge the retreat to treat and dissect the aviation sector Roadmap to digest its content and facilitate its implementation”.
Senator Sirika also told the participants to come up with a framework that would improve the relationship between the Ministry and its agency and help achieve the implementation of the Roadmap.
The Chairman, Savannah Centre for Development and Training, facilitators of the retreat, Malam Abidu Yazid observed that whatever was being done in the aviation industry, there was a need for partnership and acquisition of knowledge for the industry to succeed.
He said synergy was key to the realisation of objectives where more than one player is involved in driving policies and used the aviation sector as an example of an industry where symbiosis could not be dispensed with.
He however commended the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika for effective leadership in the sector.
Earlier in his remark, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Hassan Musa said aviation was a very peculiar sector which is subjected to international regulation and audit, which means that all activities are measured by international standards.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the retreat was organised in order to forge the synergy that would facilitate the realisation of the objectives of the aviation Roadmap, which, on its own, is geared towards the overall development of the sector.
The theme of the retreat is “The Ministry of Aviation and its Parastatals , A symbiotic relationship for National Development, Growth and Progress”.
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