Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has tasked aviation stakeholders on the urgent need to devise means of making the sector adapt and operate efficiently amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that virus may last longer than expected.
According to Sirika, this has become necessary, as the sector could not afford to take back seat in the implementation of the roadmap being pursued by the Ministry.
Sirika stated this at the opening of a 4-day capacity building retreat for senior management staff of the Ministry and its Parastatals in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
According to him, “The aviation sector in 2020 was the worst affected by the pandemic. This happened at a time when the sector became, in 2019, the fastest-growing sector of the Nigerian economy, signifying that our modest effort and Roadmap is not only on the right direction but yielding the right results.”
“I noticed that included in the retreat objectives was a discussion on issues and challenges on the implementation of the aviation Roadmap. I will urge the retreat to treat and dissect the aviation sector Roadmap to digest its content and facilitate its implementation,” he stated.
The minister in a statement by the director public affair James Odaudu, implored the participants to come up with a framework for improving the relationship between Ministry and its agencies to the level that will not only achieve a very high level of implementation of the Roadmap, but will also smoothen the inter-Agency relationship.
The Chairman, Savannah Centre for Development and Training, facilitators of the retreat, Malam Abidu Yazid observed that whatever was being done in the aviation industry, there was a need for partnership and acquisition of knowledge for the industry to succeed.
He said, synergy was key to the realisation of objectives where more than one player is involved in driving policies and used the aviation sector as an example of an industry where symbiosis can not dispensed with.
He commended the Minister of Aviation for leading the sector from the front by not shying away from taking responsibilities and embarking on projects and programmes for the ultimate benefit of the nation’s Aviation industry.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Engr. Hassan Musa said, aviation was a very peculiar sector which is subjected to international regulation and audit, which means that all activities are measured by international standards.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the retreat was organised in order to forge the synergy that would facilitate the realisation of the objectives of the aviation Roadmap, which, on its own, is geared towards the overall development of the sector.
The theme of the retreat was “ The Ministry of Aviation and its Parastatals: A symbiotic relationship for National Development, Growth and Progress.”
