Over a decade without boards for aviation agencies

It is heartrending and highly disappointing that Nigeria has been running its aviation agencies without boards for over a decade.

The agencies include the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

All the Acts of parliament establishing the agencies stipulate the appointment of governing boards that would work with the management team in the operations of the agencies.

It is therefore unbelievable that successive administrations, wittingly or unwittingly, looked the other way all these years while these important agencies remain on auto pilot, considering that no matter how competent the managements of the agencies are, they have their limitations.

Equally important is that it amounts to flagrant abuse of enabling laws establishing the agencies for their management to take decisions –whether in relation to policy matters, or financial approvals, beyond the limits set for them by law.       Unfortunately, the last time the agencies had governing boards was during the tenure of Stella Oduah as aviation minister. This was between July 2011 and February 2014 when Dr Goodluck Jonathan was the president.

Since then, the industry has produced four ministers including Samuel Ortom, Osita Chidoka, Senator Hadi Sirika and the current one, Festus Keyamo.

Sirika served for eight years and never inaugurated the boards of the agencies throughout his tenure, despite outcries from stakeholders who challenged the running of the agencies without the statutory boards.

The stakeholders argued that running the agencies without their boards is against the principle of corporate governance.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with Keyamo as minister, in August this year, announced a board for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), but was silent on those of all the other agencies.

Who is behind the delay in inaugurating the boards of these important agencies? In whose interest? And to what end?

With the benefit of hindsight, all the aviation agencies were established for a purpose.

For instance, FAAN is expected to manage and operate airports, and provide infrastructure and services, among others.

NCAA’s mandates include regulation of aviation safety and security standards; granting of licences and permits to airlines and aviation personnel, and inspections and audits, etc.

NAMA, on the other hand, manages Nigeria’s airspace; provides air traffic control services and ensures safe separation of aircraft.

NiMet, by its mandate, provides weather forecasting and warning services; conducts meteorological research and issues weather advisories for the aviation industry, as well as others.

Equally important is AIB, whose responsibilities include investigating aviation accidents and incidents; identifying causes; giving recommendations on safety measures; and most importantly, conducts safety audits.

It is evident to discerning minds that all of these agencies are grossly constrained, and therefore unable to discharge their mandates optimally for the benefit of Nigerians and foreigners.

Evidence abounds of various infractions by airlines who take travellers for a ride in terms of fixing airfares with impunity, and in many instances, causing undue delays.

And to be fair to them, the airlines are also victims of the prolonged challenges that have encumbered the Nigerian aviation industry for decades.

With a stunted growth that makes Nigeria a subject of ridicule, the cavalier disposition towards the aviation sector must be tackled head on.

The African aviation industry is showing signs of recovery with fleet size projected to grow by 25 per cent to over 1,400 aircraft by 2034, according to Oliver Wyman’s Global Fleet and MRO Market Forecast.