By Gabriel Agbeja
Mr Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, says Nigeria International Airshow (NIA) scheduled to take place from Tuesday to Thursday, in Abuja will bridge connectivity gaps across Africa.
Keyamo said this on Friday in Abuja after inspecting the place arranged for the NIA at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja (NAIA).
According to him, the airshow will stimulate aviation for economic development in Africa spanning transport, avionics, cargo, defence, medical, tourism, aerospace, trade, among other sectors.
He said the show would focus on standardising policies and framework in the aviation industry, increase the skill set in the labour market and expand aviation infrastructure like Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centres in the region.
“The show will also increase the synergy between financial institutions and the aviation industry towards contributing to the sustainable economy and overall environmental ambition.
“It will also achieve a more integrated aviation industry to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he added.
Keyamo, who expressed satisfaction on the level of preparedness and timeliness of the event, added that the events would involve an air display by the Nigerian Air Force on the first and last days.
“We’ll have a wonderful display in the skies for everybody to see. Air shows around the world are opportunities for those countries to showcase what their aviation ecosystems have to offer the world.
“For every two years in the UK there is an airshow. You have the Paris Air Show that has been on for decades. And of course, you have the Dubai Air Show.
“Those air shows actually portray and display the potential of those countries,” he said.
According to him, the foreign visitors, airlines, and investors are expected to come and see what Nigeria will offer.
Keyamo said, “A lot of people have heard about Nigeria and the growing aviation sector.
“They want to come and see themselves the products we have, the products other people around the world are willing to bring into Nigeria.”
He stated that the event was being organised by Public Private Partnership (PPP).
“It is a public-private sector participation that we are doing here. It’s a very clever thing to do.
“All of this you are seeing, the Federal Government has not spent one naira on it.
“What we have done is to put our logo on it. We have put our franchise on it as the Federal Government. We have made our infrastructure available and our runways,” he said.
Keyamo said the local operators would enjoy a lot of person-to-person diplomatic exchanges and business contacts offering opportunities for people to strike deals like aircraft leases.
“There will be a lot of talk shows, a lot of seminars, and a lot of discussions going on. It’s not only an air display. People will display their products.
“Private people are coming in to invest,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
