Says PPO Should Be Encouraged
The Chief Operating Officer, Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited(BASL)promoter of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two(MMA2), Mr. Remi Jibodu, has called on the Federal Government to create conducive and supportive climate for both local and foreign investors to invest.
This is just as he also task the Government to me take the provision of aviation infrastructure development as a priority to meet future demands in the industry.
Jibodu, who was one of the panelists at the just concluded 29th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), with the theme “Aviation Financing in Nigeria: The Risks, Opportunities and Prospects” argued that it is when the Nigerian environment is conducive that investors can invest the opportunities in the sector.
Investors, he said would not invest in any climate that is not conducive for their business be they local or foreign.
The COO noted that Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure must be provided based on future growth to avoid rapid obsolescence, adding that while significant development efforts are underway, they must not be short-sighted.
A proactive approach, he further noted is the key features for future expansion and that transit flights must be integrated from the beginning.
The COO, who is presently managing the MMA2 , a private terminal called on the Federal Government to deliberately encourage existing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a way to build confidence and attract other potential investors.
He recommended that the government should reduce the bureaucracy involved in establishing airlines and airports in the country to further boost investment drive.
Speaking further, the BASL contended that simplifying these processes would equally encourage investors and players in the aviation sector to invest in the opportunities that abound in the industry to stimulate overall sector growth.
Speaking on interest rate , Jibodu pointed out that while in other climates, interest rate paid on loans is single digit, but lamented that in Nigeria, it is double digits interest rate, a situation he said does not encourage global aviation investors.
Airlines in the country is not competitive but that the government must find a way to make Nigerian airlines more competitive, not just for the benefit of the companies themselves, but for the entire nation and its citizens, who stand to gain from easier and more affordable travel.
On the possibility of MMA2 operating regional flights from the terminal to alleviate capacity issues at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Jibodu said that facility is ready to launch services from the terminal.
MMA2, the COO said, has the capacity to commence regional operations within 24 hours and that the necessary facilities have been provided long time ago .
He argued that consolidating traffic at one airport with different terminals would be a simple solution if the international terminal is experiencing congestion, stressing that MMA2 can easily take care of the overflow from there.
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