The strong push by the Nigerian Minister  of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, to revive air transport system  in Nigeria indicates a new vista in aviation development in Nigeria as well as in Africa. Nigeria's role in regional and continental air transport development has become more demanding as the economic needs of the continent increase and new security and safety challenges emerge in the aviation industry. With a number of recent positives scored by Nigeria in the aviation industry in the areas of safety and security mainly, the country makes a clear statement on the capacity within Africa to achieve improvements despite the challenge of resources facing the continent. Nigeria as well states its readiness to drive leadership in the cooperative struggle to extricate Africa's aviation industry from perpetual underdevelopment and over-dependence on (foreign) hand-outs.

With a widely pronounced transformation agenda, the current political leadership in Nigeria prepares the minds of aviation development partners within and outside the country of a certain readiness to achieve a new phase of air transport development in Nigeria. This is cognizant of the underlying inadequacy of civil aviation infrastructure in the country, which has been cited by analysts as a major draw-back in the country's aviation development efforts.

Leadership As Priority

At the top of all aviation development efforts in Africa, leadership is a primary factor that needs to be effective and proactive at all times. Whereas a number of leadership changes have been made in Nigeria's aviation industry in recent times, analysts acquiesce that it is crucial that such changes do not disturb the smooth running of development efforts. And so far there are no signs of negativity following the new appointments, denoting the appropriateness of the new arrangement. The recent leadership changes in Nigeria brought in the current Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who has since mid-2011 intensified campaigns on the transformational agenda of Nigeria's Federal Government for the air transport industry. Princess Oduah early October 2011 appointed new leaders for the country's airports authority, its air navigation services provider and Nigeria's foremost aviation training college.

Now, the pervasive expectation in the industry is that the much-highlighted transformational agenda of the government in Nigeria will ginger the leaders and professionals in the industry to work in harness to address often-difficult industry challenges. This is important because of the new wave of demand from air transport users regarding safety and security, as well as airport and airline service quality. As new appointees, apart from the Nigerian Minister who will, of course, work with professionals in the various sub-sectors including the vibrant CAA, the leaders of the three parastatals appointed from within each parastatals had each been involved in the on-going industry development efforts.

The new Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. George Uriesi, was previously the Director of Airport Operations at FAAN, and was formerly the General Manager of Cape Town International Airport. These and other attributes build him up for the challenging tasks of transforming the airport system in Nigeria. Besides, the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Engr. Nnamdi Udoh, was before his appointment the Director of Electronics and Engineering Services, working at top level in programmes that achieved the total radar coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) Project which was commissioned by the Nigerian President last year. With this enhanced radar coverage, pilots have applauded the efficiency of the new installations both for domestic operations and overflying aircraft. Engr. Udoh is now expected to accelerate work on the total VHF radio coverage of Nigeria to enhance communication. Furthermore, the new Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Capt Chinyere Kalu, before her appointment last October was also contributing to initiatives to improve performance at the College.

With one of the most efficient CAAs in Africa to work closely with, the aviation Ministry in Nigeria and its parastatals can only aim for the best results. This will rub off on the larger African air transport industry, where issues of airport development, air navigation services and safety regulation, among others, now require serious collaborative work. In the area of security for instance, the recent upgrade with 3D body scanners and adoption of 100% screening are new improvements that should be shared with other African States to help security enhancement throughout Africa. During the second ICAO Security Summit for Africa in Dakar last October, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, who was President of the Meeting, says: "Africa's recognition of the need for action to address the terrorist threat, whatever form it may take, is truly inspiring because it contributes to a global solution to the global problem."

A number of African States including South Africa, Egypt and Morocco, have made impressive achievements in airports development, which are a plus for Africa and readily serve as examples because of the huge need to improve facilities at most of Africa's airports.

Infrastructure & Technology

As daunting as it has been, the challenge of poor infrastructure in Nigeria's aviation industry mirrors the challenges in most of Africa. The infrastructure needs of the continent are worth billions of US dollars, consisting mainly of airports upgrade and new airports, air navigation and meteorological facilities upgrade, in addition to maintenance infrastructure. In all these areas, new technologies have emerged leaving States with outdated or inadequate facilities. In the airports sub-sector, for instance, discerning passengers are increasingly demanding services supported by new airports technology including self-service facilities, among others. This influences the demand airlines make on airports.

The resolve to tackle infrastructure challenges in Nigeria beginning with air traffic management and airport infrastructure could be an example for other States. However, beyond the task of getting key airports in Nigeria back to more conducive conditions for travellers, there is the need to consider development of new airports. Specifically, for instance, there may be need to complement the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, which is Nigeria's prime gateway. Indeed, in all parts of Africa, such considerable changes in infrastructure are essential. In Kenya for instance, the airports development strategy keys into the country's long-term economic development plan, with salient aspects like the green airport project, etc. In Tanzania as well, there is intensive work on the new terminal project at Dar es Salaam International Airport, while Ghana's Airport Company Limited is putting in $15million to add self-service kiosks at the Kotoka International Airport aided by SITA. Even though Nigeria's airports infrastructure need be upgraded, it is important to share experiences from such States where airports have been well developed such as South Africa and Egypt.

Besides the airports, Nigeria's role in coordinating and strengthening aspects of the industry such as safety and security through common mechanisms including regional groupings is very important for the continent. Nigeria has taken remarkable actions in the regional approach to safety and security oversight build-ups on the continent, and it requires continued push by Nigeria's aviation leaders to motivate other African States that still appear passive on serious matters of oversight improvement.

Out of the 54 African States, about 6 have attained the US FAA Category 1 Certification which is one of the significant parameters of improving safety among States, mainly those with intention for their airlines to fly to the US. While the process of achieving this certification created a new wave of safety consciousness in Nigeria's aviation industry as in the other five States, the safety performance in these States is expected to ginger other States to step up safety efforts among their own States. Ghana for example is looking towards re-attaining their FAA Category 1 Status. The challenge for the new Minister is to ensure the sustenance of this status through initiatives from the government.

To support infrastructure in tune with future-based tech-nologies, related technical know-how must not be in short supply among States, and this is the crux of the issue in Africa's air transport systems.

For Nigeria and other African States that have achieved commendable safety improvements, it should be made clear that safety is an on-going process which only requires continual renewal as a daily culture. And through regional collaboration and oversight capacity building, it is expected that total safety in Africa can be improved and the accident record in Africa which was about six times the global average in 2010 be improved. A number of benchmarks and safety improvement drivers have been outlined and executed by ICAO in the AFI Region which provide adequate platforms to fast-forward safety enhancement in Africa. And, like in most challenges in Africa, action is what is paramount to enable these initiatives achieve their original objectives in Africa.

Collaboration In Africa

The opinion of many industry observers in Africa is that all partners in the aviation industry in Africa should embrace improved collaboration, cooperation and coordination. This is a potent factor that can drive the success of all other development efforts. In this aspect, coordination of such cooperation can be spearheaded by States like Nigeria that have made headway in aspects such as safety and security. On the Ministerial level, Africa needs to reactivate the meeting of AU Ministers who will drive policy changes needed on the continent. And the contributions of Nigeria would be anticipated as a major aviation market in the Africa region.

Relations With Other Continents

Over the years, having unified response from Africa to external pressures such as the EU common negotiating mandate and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, among others, have been harped on without impressive outcomes. In the coming year 2012, the EU ETS, for example, is set to come into effect and would require foreign airlines including those from Africa, to pay for carbon emissions. This has been condemned by IATA and ICAO. But most importantly, African States need to continue to make their unified voices heard on such issues of common concern. The Honourable  Minister working in concert with other Ministers of frontline African States should work with an appropriate response to this unilateral imposition.

Nigeria's transformational agenda for the aviation industry is not only essential for the domestic air transport industry but also for the whole of Africa, given that successes or failures of Nigeria would have significant consequences on other parts of the continent.