The popular phrase in one of the plays of William Shakespeare, an English poet, playwright and actor of the Renaissance era, ‘As You Like It,’ which says, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many parts,” is a phrase that speaks to every endeavour of humans and vis-a-vis what their activities on earth will be used to remember them once they exit the stage.
The statement is a reminder that we have the power to create our own meaning in life. In other words, we are the authors of our own stories, hence, we can choose how we want to live our lives and make a difference in the world.
This phrase from Williams Shakespeare resonated in the country’s aviation sector penultimate week when the news of the demise of Nick Fadugba was broken to key players in aviation across Africa and the world.
Nick, as he was popularly called in aviation circle, in his time fitted into the position of a colossus through his resilience of connecting Africa to the world with his annual MRO Africa and African Aviation Training Conference and Exhibition, with the last one held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in April 2024.
Nick, for over 30 years, organised the Air Finance Africa Conference, the MRO Africa Conference, as well as other aviation events through where he used the different forces in aviation across the world to map the strategies for the development of aviation in Africa for seamless air transport.
His ability to bring together principal actors in all angles of aviation business ranging from airlines, aircraft manufacturers, MRO facilitators, spare parts builders, engine manufacturers and other value chain suppliers from Europe, Asia, America and other parts of the world during the annual event has continued to be a huge surprise to stakeholders particularly from outside Africa because of the enormity of successful outcomes of decisions often achieved at the end of the annual conference.
Of great interest to all core professionals in the sector globally is the way the themes for each year often stressed the necessity to help propel aviation in the continent to a greater heights contrary to its long time backwardness.
Because the platform also provides opportunities for serious business networks among key players from across the world, this has been responsible for the huge presence of personalities like aircraft manufacturers, manufacturers of aircraft engines, leasing companies, international Air Transport Association representatives, airlines, aircraft maintenance companies, ground handling companies, amongst other allied businesses, coming together to compare notes with the target of raising the standard of aviation business in Africa.
At the April 2024 conference titled, ‘Strengthening Africa’s MRO and Training Capacity for the Future,’ which, unknown to participants would be his last attempt to push the fortunes and potential of his beloved Africa, Nick had expressed optimism that aviation can be a vital catalyst for Africa’s economic growth and social advancement.
Nick had emphasised the serious needs for Africa to have a safe, reliable, efficient, affordable and profitable air transport industry that facilitates travel, trade and tourism across the continent and between Africa and the world.
He was optimistic that if properly harnessed, aviation could become one of the keys to Africa’s future prosperity, hence, for aviation to succeed in Africa, he said the continent needed, inter alia, a clear vision, good leadership, discipline, hard work, patriotism, good governance and a genuine spirit of co-operation in Africa.
Nick, who coincidentally before his demise, was the CEO of the African Aviation, was able to rally the huge gathering of participants and lead sponsors of the conference from around the world including AMP-Aero, The Boeing Company, Air France Industry, KLM Engineering and Maintenance and Lufthansa Technik, AMECO, GE Aerospace and Golden Engine Maintenance, Rolls-Royce, Aero Supplies Global, Aviatt and other exhibitors.
Their valued support for exchange of ideas and the sharing of expertise in MRO for the development of airlines has remained a major avenue to correct the negative and myopic impression that highly qualified players that can change the narratives and close the wide gap between Africa and other parts of the developed world are non-existent.
Nick Fadugba established African Aviation Services (AAS) in 1990 with the pan-African vision of promoting aviation development throughout Africa. He believed that aviation could be a vital catalyst for Africa’s economic and social transformation.
Since 1988, he provided a wide range of consultancy and advisory services to international aviation, finance and leasing organisations and to African governments.
He was also instrumental in fostering business relations between Africa and the international aviation community in critical areas such as Aviation finance, aircraft leasing, aircraft maintenance, air safety and aviation training.
Nick had unique experience in aviation finance and aircraft leasing negotiation, arbitration and dispute resolution in Africa. Other areas of specialty included developing airline business plans, fleet planning, aircraft leasing and finance advisory services, airline route network development, market information research and analysis, reconciliation of aircraft leasing and finance accounts and debt recovery, negotiating acquisition of airport slots and air traffic rights and establishing London Heathrow Airport operations for foreign airlines.
He was appointed an interim Non-Executive Director to the Board of South African Airways on December 9, 2020 and acted as Chairperson of South African Airways Technical until April 2023.
He was elected Chairman of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) in May 2018, handing over the chairmanship position last year.
Not to forget, Nick was a qualified journalist who, in 1990, helped pioneer aviation publishing in Africa with the launch of African Aviation, Africa’s aviation industry journal, to promote the African aviation industry globally.
Though Nick is gone, but his legacy will live on forever. His memory will always be cherished and his impact on aviation in Africa and the world at large will never be forgotten.
One critical question on the lips of many key players in the sector is whether there will ever be another genius who will truly love Africa and aviation as a whole either from Nigeria or any part of Africa to step into the big shoes he has left behind. Time will tell.
