Aviation Minister tasks Senate on adequate funding

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, on Thursday tasked the senate on the need for adequate funding of the sector.
Sirika made the call while defending his ministry’s budget for 2017 before the Senate Committee on Aviation in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2017 Budget proposal for the Aviation sector is N22 billion.
Sirika said: “The 2016 budget has witnessed a lull in its implementation due to the nation economic recession.
“As you aware, the aviation sector of the ministry had a total Capital Allocation of over N18 billion in 2016.
“The ministry has worked tirelessly in the past years to uplift the standard of the Nigerian Aviation Industry.”
Sirika said that more support from the upper chamber of the National Assembly would greatly improve the sector.
He said: “To do this, we must ensure that our airports and their environs are not only safe and secure.
“They must strive to meet the standard and recommended practices as outlined by various recognised aviation agencies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation.”
According to Sirika, in 2017, emphasis will be focused on sustaining the infrastructural renewal at the airports by driving the remodelling projects to a logical conclusion.
Sirika said: “The Bilateral/Multilateral Airspace Services Agreement would be pursued with greater vigour in 2017 to enhance the internally generated revenue of the sector.”
The minister also said that the ministry would ensure the establishment of a National Carrier if they received “suitable funding options”.
He said: “Efforts will be geared toward achieving a roadmap with the implementation and development of key projects including infrastructural development through airport concession.”
Sirika also noted that other initiatives would include the establishment of Aerospace University with the support of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
In his remark, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bala Na’Allah, called for the restructuring of the aviation sector.
Na’Allah urged the ministry to organise a roundtable to help them with the litigation they were currently battling with in court against Bi-Courtney and others.
NAN.