Capt. Nogie Meggison is the
chairman, Airline operators of Nigeria. He tells OYETUNJI ABIOYE that if the
incoming government takes the aviation sector seriously, it can make
significant contribution to the economy.
Nigeria airlines are small, weak
and debt ridden. How can we grew domestic carriers? The way forward is to have
the right government policies in place. Once the government has policies that
seek the growth of domestic airlines, the local carriers will grow. For
example, it could be by putting in place a policy to create economic value; we have to look at
the multiple destination we are giving the foreign airlines, you have look at
multiple entry point in the Nigeria. Allowing foreign carriers to hop from city
to another within Nigeria will not create economic value for our local
carriers. The government can also look at how to bring down the cost of
aviation fuel. We have to set up Warri
refinery; Warri has the capacity to refine aviation the pipelines are there.
These are minor things that can be done. We are still carrying tanker fuel up
and down our toilet and you are using tanker fuel up and our airports. It like
in a house and you has water through a carpet; after some time you will stain
the carpet.
Insurance, our insurance premium
is too high, we have to look at insurance again compared to the rest of the
world and compared to the rest of Africa. Other countries, including some
Africa nations, are paying less than one per cent as premium on airplanes;
whereas in Nigeria we are paying an average of seven per cent because of the
NAICOM policy. That is a policy that the government has to look into. The same
aircraft that I have that was registered in South Africa was brought to Nigeria
with the same crew and name; and my insurance premium went up from $64,000 to
$314,000 per annum because I changed the registration number to Nigeria’s. Nigeria is a United States of America’s
Federal Aviation Administration Category One country and we should take
advantage of it.
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