The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr. Festus Keyamo has pledged to lead the chief executive officers of aviation agencies and key industry stakeholders at a discussion forum on how to bail the aviation sector out of its current challenges.
The forum, the 28th edition of the Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) holds on Friday, July 26 at Providence Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos under the theme “Aviation Survivability Amidst A Challenging Macro-economic Environment,”
A statement signed by the conference committee chairman and secretary, Messrs Chinedu Eze and Albinus Chiedu confirming the minister’s participation noted that the LAAC conference, the leading discussion platform in the Nigeria aviation sector will afford Keyamo the opportunity to listen to stakeholders’ inputs and garner resources from them in his desire to return the sector to the path of glory.
The statement quoted the minister as saying: “Stakeholders remain key components of my desire to reposition the aviation sector onto its enviable path where the industry can stand shoulder high with others on the global stage.
“I am aware that past recommendations from the LAAC Annual Conference have helped shape the course of the development of the sector positively.
“I have no doubt the deliberations and solutions that will be proffered at the 2024 edition by the array of seasoned experts and stakeholders will make my job as the minister of aviation and aerospace development a simple task”
The minister added that the theme of the conference “Aviation Survivability Amidst A Challenging Macro-economic Environment,” couldn’t have come at a better time as the ministry is poised to ensure every obstacle is addressed to reposition the sector.
The event will be chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of CITA Group, Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe while a former managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Capt Hamisu Yadudu will moderate the sessions.
Besides, the managing director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Umar Farouk will deliver the keynote speech while the panel session will include 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 chairman, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Dr. Wale Babalakin, as members.
Others are the former rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, Capt Samuel Caulcrick and the second vice president, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Dr. Alex Nwuba.
The theme of this year’s conference was informed by the challenging state of Nigeria’s economy which has 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 of industry stakeholders, it said further,” the statement added.
“The LAAC 2024 Annual Conference will stand out from the past editions because of the aptness of issues to be discussed and the quality of industry leaders and dignitaries that will be available to brainstorm on how the industry can navigate through the existing growth constraining challenges, especially aspects that have to do with economics,” the statement added.
