Aviation To Boost Nigeria’s Revenue In 2012

Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi, has assured that the aviation industry will be contributing 30 percent of its earnings to the federation account from next year.

The minister who was speaking during a presentation to senate committee on Aviation in Abuja said since the federation government alone could not fun the infrastructure deficit in the sector that efforts were being intensified to improve the revenue  generation capacities of all the agencies under the ministry.

“As part of our revenue enhancement strategy, we have identified all areas where we are not generating enough revenue. We have also put in place modalities to turn them into major revenue generation centres from where we should be able to contribute our quota to the federation purse.

“Come 2012, 30 percent of all revenue generated will go to the national grid, which means the aviation industry will begin to contribute to our GDP and thereafter we will increase it to 50 percent and so on”, she said.

According to her, the era when the  ministry is solely dependent on government subvention is no longer sustainable”, stressing that rather than get from the federal purse my vision is to turn the sector to a major contributor to the treasury and catalyst of economic growth.

She reiterated her commitment to turn Nigeria’s aviation sector into a regional and continental hub, adding that facilities and infrastructure at the airports were being renovated under the special Airport Renovation/Remodeling projects (ARP) 2011.

She disclosed that the Nigerian college of Aviation Technology (NCAT) was being repositioned to deliver on expected manpower needs for the sector, adding that the college would go into joint ventures and collaborative partnerships with reputable international training institutes and colleges to be able to deliver the expected results at minimal cost to government.

She expressed dismay over the state of facilities at the airports and vowed to give Nigerians facilities and services comparable to what they get developed nations of the world.

Earlier, the senate committee chairman on aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma had noted that the interactive session was to rub minds with the ministry’s major players to fashion out modalities of cooperation and collaboration to restore the sector’s glory.

He said the ministry and the senate should work together to face the challenges in the industry and deliver to Nigerians internationally applicable standards and services.