The minister of aviation Mr. Hadi Sirika has said that the sector would grow its contribution to the gross domestic product from 0.6 per cent to 1 per cent in the next one year.
The minister stated this in his remarks when the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and National Association of Air Transport Pilots and Employees (NAAPE) paid solidarity visit in Abuja yesterday after he was sworn in as minister.
Sirika said “I never thought that I was coming back” stated that “we will still continue from where we started from” and that with Nigeria’s population of about 200, 000, 000 million people aviation would add to the quality of life of the people.
Roadmap
“This industry has a lot for Nigerians and it connects people, nations and markets. One air plane that will come in means 300 jobs. More than that, it is a catalyst growth for the economy of our country and contributes to the gross domestic product. From what we have done, we have raised the contribution to the GDP from 0.4 to 0.6 per cent. We believe that in the next one year, it will increase the GDP contribution by at least 1 per cent. Two hundred million people, at the centre of Africa, aviation for sure will add to the quality of lives in Nigeria.”
Nigerians should know that while we are here given the opportunity, we together with the stakeholders the union and staff. We drew a road map and we are following that road map. We will continue with the road map. It needs adjustment; we will adjust it appropriately so that it will serve the industry better, so that it will be in tune and in tune with the presidential directive, that everything must be pro-people. So, we will continue with the pro-people initiative of Mr. President. We will ensure that all our actions will be in the interest of the people, the worker, the industry and the country in general.
Aviation is one
I want to point this out that to Nigerians and the world in general, there is only one aviation. There is no aviation B. Aviation is universal. It is the same aviation in China, America, South Africa and in Nigeria. We cannot work as an island. We must work together because the standards are the same. Anything that affects someone in Niger will affect another person in Singapore. People should desist from seeing aviation as elitist. I used to read in the papers and hear in the news: ‘How many people fly?’ It is not that. If Dangote has employed 100,000 people and he has to travel from one place to another in an aero plane, it is not him that is travelling, but also the 100,000 workers.
Appreciation
I truly appreciate the aviation workers for coming out in numbers to receive me. I am not sure if it has not broken me to pieces. Indeed it did. I am being the macho man that I ought to be to hold back tears. This surprise by the grace of God will not be misplaced. We worked together as a family and I missed them. I never thought that I was coming back. I could not find a forum to say a big thank you to them. Now that we are back, we will still continue from where we started from. If there is need, we will tweak to make it better what we have done before in the interest of our country and our industry aviation.
