The ministry of aviation and aerospace development and its agencies, airlines, policy makers and all the other stakeholders in the aviation industry have confirmed their participation in the 28th edition of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Annual Conference taking place on Friday, July 26 at Providence Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The event will be held under the theme: ‘Aviation survivability amidst a challenging macro-economic environment’
Leading the discussion at the event is the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo who has confirmed his attendance.
The minister said in a statement by the conference planning committee secretary, Mr Albinus Chiedu that the leading aviation industry gathering will afford him (minister) the opportunity to exchange ideas with operators, business owners and others on how the country’s aviation sector could survive amidst the prevailing macro-economic environment.
“The challenges before us and the industry are not insurmountable. We need to come together, especially at the LAAC conference. It gives us the best opportunity to dissect the challenges one after the other and agree on the steps to take to reach and achieve our goals.
“I urge a stakeholder to come with open and progressive minds and let us take a good look at the sector which we all know has great potential to boost the GDP of our dear country and open doors of employment opportunities for our teaming population of unemployed professionals,” Keyamo said.
“Stakeholders described the theme of the conference: ‘Aviation survivability amidst a challenging macro-economic environment’ as timely against the background of the challenging state of Nigeria’s economy which amplified the already existing constraints to growth and development of Nigeria’s aviation in form of poor access to forex, weakening currency, high fuel costs, maintenance costs, poor airports infrastructure, regulatory constraints, growing manpower demands, technology upgrade, passenger comfort, among other issues that require urgent attention.
“The 2024 edition presents yet another opportunity for aviation and allied business organizations to take advantage of sponsorship opportunities presented by this event to sell their products and services,” the statement added.
The statement said Keyamo would serve as special guest of honour while the chief executive officer of CITA Group, Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe will chair the proceedings.
It further stated that the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Umar Farouk will deliver the keynote speech while a former rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, Capt Samuel Caulcrick and the second vice president, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Dr. Alex Nwuba will be present papers.
A panel session will be moderated by a former managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Hamisu Yadudu with the acting director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, the managing director/chief executive of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku and the chairman, Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Dr. Wale Babalakin, are penciled in as discussants.
Other dignitaries at the panel session are the chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), managing director, FCM Nigeria, Mrs. Adejoju Olutimayin, and chairman, Association of Ground Handlers of Nigeria (AGHAN), Mr. Olaniyi Adigun.
“This year’s edition of the Conference is very attractive to captains of industry because of the aptness of the issues to be discussed. With the volume of enquiries we have received and the quality of speakers, we have no doubt that the conference will produce a progressive direction for Nigeria’s aviation industry,” the statement added.
LAAC is Nigeria’s premier aviation media umbrella body that ensures effective media coverage and practice in the aviation industry.
The annual conference has over the years, made an unquantifiable impact on Nigeria’s aviation sector by throwing up policy, management and operational issues for public discussion. This has resulted in tremendously significant evidential changes in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
