The Nigerian government has approved the change of name of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.
The approval was given at Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who briefed the media after the meeting, said change the name became necessary in order to position to align with contemporary developments in aviation and aerospace.
“You can now go to space and have launch and come back. So, aviation and aerospace are now and intertwined.
“It is important that we become proactive and set our policies, rules and regulation in tandem with what is obviously coming.
“In the long run, we are going to see going to space like going to Lagos. So, the Ministry must be positioned in such a way that it is aligning itself with changes that are in aviation and aerospace,” the Minister explained.
Civil Aviation Policy
Sirika said that Nigeria’s civil aviation policy was last reviewed in 2013, explaining that the present administration waited for President Muhammadu Buhari to give his assent to the new act to enable the ministry to draft policies from the law.
“This policy is geared towards opening up the industry in line with the AU Agenda 2063 to integrate Africa through civil aviation and to promote entrepreneurship and find access to finance, to money, to equipment that is affordable without putting the country at risk and within our country Nigeria.”
The Minister said Aviation, like Foreign Affairs, was in the Exclusive Legislative List in Nigeria’s Constitution and that there was no need to have the word “Federal” in its name.
Taxiway Bravo
Sirika said that the Federal Executive Council approved over N2.4billion for the award of contract for the supply, installation of airfield grounding lighting and associated civil works for Taxiway B, also known as Taxiway Bravo, at the Murtala Muhammadu International Airport, Lagos.
He said the contract was awarded to Messrs KSR 3 Nigeria Ltd who is representing Messrs ADB SafeGate BV, a company from Belgium.
He says, “This Taxiway Bravo is very important because now runway 18, which is the international runway, has been closed for maintenance.
“It is important that we get this Taxiway light working for night navigation of aircraft. It has been abandoned for about 17 years and this is one plus from the President Muhammadu Buhari government.”
Zaria Hotel for NCAT
The Ministry of Aviation also got approval for the purchase of the Zaria Hotel in Kaduna State for the use of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Technology, NCAT.
“That hotel will be rehabilitated and will be used for executive courses and to house some students and trainees in the college.
“In view of the security situation, they are now in house, so to speak.
“We just remove the fence and the hotel is in the college. It is bought for the sum of N1, 313, 000, 000.00 from a company called African Continental Hotel and Resorts Ltd.”
Abuja, Kano Airports Concession
Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council also approved that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano be concessioned.
The Aviation Minister said the group of persons and consortium that won the bid were Messrs Corporacion America Airports Consortium, which has as subsidiaries Messrs Mota Engil Africa and Messrs Mota Engil Nigeria.
He explained that the concession was through a public, private partnership, PPP, which would be for 20 years for Abuja and 30 years for Kano.
Giving further details of the concession deal, the Minister said that the upfront fee for the Abuja Airport is $ 7million dollars, while the fee for the Kano Airport is $ 1.5million dollars to be given for Kano.
“Fixed Concession Fee is $ 401.2million for Abuja and fixed fee for Kano is $21million.
“The variable cost concession fee of $154million is for Abuja and $26,9million dollars for Kano.
“Tax is $111.2 million for Abuja and $42.7million for Kano.
“The ICRC supervision fee is $16.4million for Abuja and $ 5.3million dollars for Kano.
“So the total amount of money that is accruing to government is almost $700million for Abuja, almost equal to the money Nigeria borrowed for the four airports and then $97.4million for Kano.
“Put together it is about $800million and this is equal to the money we borrowed to do those four airports.
“The above fees are separate from the direct fees that FAAN will continue to earn from passenger service charge which is projected revenues accruable from the combined concession of Abuja and Kano which is $4billion,” Sirika stated.
He added that the policy of concession of Nigeria’s airports, against privatization, was to ensure that national assets remained under the ownership of Nigerians.
Confidence Okwuchi
