Minister of Aviation says no immediate solutions to multi-pronged crises rocking Nigeria’s aviation sector

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has said there are no immediate solutions to the multi-pronged crises rocking Nigeria’s aviation sector

The minister who held an emergency meeting with the Airline Operators Association of Nigeria (AON) in Abuja, Tuesday, stated that the variables impacting the crises in the aviation sector were beyond the industry’s control.

He maintained that there was no short term solution because of the variables involved, stressing that it was a global challenge.

Senator Sirika explained that the global energy crises was real, adding there is aviation fuel problem all over the world, including America and New Zealand, adding that it is aggravating in Nigeria because Nigeria does not produce the product and that the foreign exchange is scarce in Nigeria because the source of earning the foreign exchange has also dwindled.

Sirika reiterated that the federal government had in the past sourced 10,000 metric tonnes of aviation fuel for the airlines, adding that the government was willing to do more.

He also promised to meet with relevant stakeholders including the Central Bank of Nigeria so that the airlines could access dollars at the official market rate rather than the black market rate.

In his remarks, the President, AON, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina said the aviation fuel crises began from N180 per litre and now it’s at about N1000 per litre, lamenting that that the forex crises was a huge burden on the industry.

Ango Bally