FG sets up taskforce to fast-track PPPs in aviation sector

In its bid to unlock the economic potential of the aviation sector through investment in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), the Federal Government has established task forces in the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Ministry of Aviation.

This was the outcome of a courtesy visit by the Director General of the ICRC, Dr. Jobson Ewalefoh, to the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, in Abuja.

A statement by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the Commission, Ifeanyi Nwoko, noted that Dr. Ewalefoh, who highlighted the importance of aviation in galvanising other sectors to foster the economic potential of the country, said that the Commission had set up its task force to fast-track investment in PPPs.

The Minister took advantage of the visit to also set up a similar task force in the ministry that will liaise with the ICRC team to ensure swift but efficient delivery of infrastructure projects through PPP.

Speaking during the meeting, the ICRC’s helmsman said that with the new streamlined policy direction of the ICRC, and an aviation minister who is a legal luminary, the mistakes of the early years that drove some aviation PPP projects into litigation will now be forestalled, while the pending cases will be resolved.

Ewalefoh said that the nation, like many others around the world, still faces the challenge of funding infrastructure projects, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has a focus on PPPs to boost infrastructure.

While exemplifying the huge investment possibility in the aviation sector, the DG said that between 2003 and 2019, Heathrow Airport in the UK received an investment of 16 billion pounds in private sector funds; the Nigerian aviation sector holds a lot of investment possibilities without burdening public resources.

He cited the example of Dakar Airport, which has attracted an investment of $575 million, 30 percent of which is from the Bin Laden Group of Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, where the PPP arrangement has driven passenger traffic from seven million to 12 million.

He stated that Nigeria, with over 200 million people, should be able to attract the right investments and become the destination hub of the world and a connecting point for Africa.

“We have what it takes, but we need to have the right infrastructure in place. That is why we are here to collaborate with you and ensure that all the projects you have conceptualised will come to fruition within the lifetime of this administration.

“The aviation sector is an enabler for the economic development of any nation; it is a means for you to connect all the various infrastructure together; it is a means to unlock the potential of this country. If we get it right, Nigeria’s story will change,” he said.

The DG commended the Minister for getting the Federal Government to sign the Cape Town Convention Practice Direction after over 10 years of attempts and also resolving the problem with the UAE and having Emirates Airlines fly to Nigeria again.

“We have a lot of projects on your table, and we want to implore you, if possible, to set up a task force for us to do this because the infrastructure gap in Nigeria is so huge that the normal protocol cannot give us the needed time and speed. We need to work day and night and have the right commitment,” he said.

In his response, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, while corroborating the DG’s position on the need to accelerate PPP projects in the industry, immediately set up a task force to liaise with the ICRC’s team to deliver PPP infrastructure in the aviation sector more speedily.

He said that the ministry has recorded a couple of milestone achievements in the area of policy in the aviation sector, adding that the ministry will focus more on accelerating all the PPP proposals that it has received.

“So we will bring them to you; we will set timelines for ourselves. For each of these projects, we are going to set a timeline,” he said.

He said that aviation was a sector that had a lot of PPP potential, pointing out that certain projects like the cargo terminals and others that have been marked out will be pursued vigorously.

He commended the DG for being proactive and assured the ICRC of his unfettered collaboration to drive PPP infrastructure in the Ministry.