In less than five months, on May 29, 2023 precisely, the present Muhammadu Buhari-led government will be stepping aside to give way for a fresh government to continue with the running of the Nigerian project, thus bringing to an end the eight-year tenure of the government and its policies.
One of the unique aspects of the Buhari-led government which will remain a reference point for some time is the fact that throughout the years, the country’s aviation sector was able to enjoy stability due to the free hand given the Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, to manage the sector.
The eight-year tenure of Sirika, which made him the longest-serving minister, is a far departure from the previous experiences when ministers were changed frequently at the expense of the growth and development of the sector.
One thing the Buhari government will be remembered for is its decision to encourage stability as witnessed in the steady growth of the tenure of the Chief Executives of the agencies and that of the minister.
As expected, the retention of the minister in particular for the long stretch gave rise to some noble achievements the sector recorded which positively contributed to the little growth recorded.
Among such positive trends recorded in the last seven and half years include the upgrade of the Abuja Airport runway after so many years of neglect, the installation of the airfield lighting system at the domestic runway of the Lagos Airport which was also abandoned for about 15 years.
In the history of the sector, the Buhari government remains the number one in the area of effective accidents/incidents investigations and the prompt release of the reports of such accidents including reports of the crashes that took place before the coming of this government.
Under the government, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) reached its peak with records of achievements which gained international recognition with many countries around the world seeking its assistance in accident investigations.
The major achievement of the bureau was its recent transition into a multimodal investigation body which empowers it to henceforth investigate accidents involving roads, railways and marines.
The completion of many airports’ terminal buildings started by previous governments and the opening of such terminals like the one in Lagos is on the positive side though with its error.
Also within the period, despite the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic with its global financial safety implications, new domestic airlines joined the business.
The sector, however, witnessed torrents of negative impacts traceable to unpopular policies of the government through the minister which largely drew back the wheel of the progress of the sector.
Such controversial policies include the forth and back promises to float a new national carrier with the huge public funds sunk to it which unfortunately has become a litigation case.
The lackadaisical attitude of the government in its almost eight years to play aeropolitics with the foreign countries for the sake of protecting the domestic airlines from international conspiracy is a low price.
The failure of the government to review the country’s over 100 lopsided air travel agreements, which have been found to be disadvantageous to the country, remains a major minus. Despite the calls for a review of the agreements, the government, through the minister, has continued to sign more agreements with reckless abandon.
The lack of transparency adopted by the government in the pursuit of its airports concession plans, rather than adding value to the system, has become a controversial concern to key players.
The inability to settle the over $600 million belonging to the over 27 foreign airlines which got trapped in Nigeria with the international embarrassment of being labelled as the largest debtor to the airlines is another major minus.
Throughout the administration of the government, all hopes of empowering the local airlines through friendly policies such as making available forex, access to cheap and available aviation fuel, reduction in taxes and the review of the loose frequencies and multiple entry points doled out to foreign carriers at the detriment of local airlines are part of the woes that continue to bedevil the sector.
All these and the dictatorial tendency of the minister as witnessed in many of the projects he proposed to execute which many key players described as undemocratic and shrouded in secrecy will be remembered even after the exit of this government.
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