By Christiana Ekpa
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji,Tuesday said efforts are being made to address the omission of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) from the 2023 budget.
The Minister disclosed this when the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, appeared before the Committee to defend the Ministry’s 2022 budget performance and the 2023 proposal.
Nnaji said it was of great concern that a critical security and safety agency of the Ministry should be omitted from the 202 budget.
He said the Committee and its Senate counterpart is committed to ensuring that the anomaly is corrected.
He had requested the Minister to make the clarification on the matter, but they went into a closed door session before he could respond to the matter.
Nnaji said the committee spent most of last week visiting some projects executed by the Ministry and some of its Agencies within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He added that within the next few weeks, the Committee will be embarking on similar tours to most importantly but not limited to the other three international airports terminals slated for concession.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, reiterated that the national carrier, Nigeria Air, would begin domestic operations before the end of the year.
He said international operations would begin as soon as necessary approvals and certifications are gotten.
He said, “The national carriers will be launched soon. We have Boeing 737 in its fleet for domestic operations and later the international operations would be introduced. We would begin the domestic market, pending the time we would get the certification and approvals to go international and intercontinental, which would be soon.
“The cost of aircraft maintenance, though worrisome, has been managed during this period. Furthermore, it is worthy to note there are more bilateral and multilateral air services agreements that have been signed for the benefit of our air travelers,” he said.
He said the aviation ministry has recorded some significant achievements in virtually all areas of the sector within the life of the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari.
“We have have provided the safety and security needed in the aviation sector, which has led to the certification for the first time ever in the history of the country of Murtala Mohammed Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport. It is a milestone being the first ever airports to be certified, government in, government out. This testimony as to our concern for our focus on safety. We have recorded the highest level of safety and unprecedented growth, making aviation the fastest growing sector of the Nigerian economy.”
