The Federal government has been urged to run the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, as commercial enterprises.

A retired pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways, Frank Oruye, stated this at the weekend in an interview with The Guardian, saying such would improve efficiency and make the aviation sector more attractive to investors.

Oruye said the current government-controlled structure of the two agencies has limited their growth and weakened their ability to attract the private capital needed to drive the industry’s development.

According to him, not every aviation agency was suitable for private investment, but institutions such as FAAN and NCAT should be repositioned to operate independently of government bureaucracy.

He recalled that NCAT enjoyed its best years when it operated as a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project before it was fully handed over to the Federal Government.

Oruye lamented that the college has since suffered from inadequate funding and bureaucratic bottlenecks, a situation he likened to the decline of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways.

“Not all the agencies in the aviation sector are suitable for seeking investors. One or two agencies should be commercial ventures outright.

“Here I am thinking of FAAN and NCAT. The aviation college in Zaria had its glory days in the pioneering years as a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) project. FAAN and NCAT both need to be extricated from the apron strings and control of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development,” he said.

Oruye also advised that the proposed maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility should be established as a fully commercial enterprise from inception to ensure long-term viability.

Oruye decried that Nigeria had struggled to attract private and foreign investors because of prevailing economic and security challenges.

He noted that the country’s investment environment had become increasingly difficult, forcing even long-established businesses to shut down or relocate to other countries.

He specifically said that the deteriorating security situation in the country had further discouraged foreign investors from committing funds to Nigeria’s aviation sector.

He recalled that foreign aviation professionals previously relied on private security arrangements for their accommodation and transportation, but said the worsening insecurity had increased investment risks.