FG MODERNISING EXISTING AIRPORTS TO MEET GLOBAL STANDARD - MINISTER

Minister of Aviation Ms.Stella Oduah, in Abuja said that the Federal Government was modernising existing airports in the country to meet global aviation standard.  Oduah said this at the on-going Ministerial Platform in commemoration of the 2012 Democracy Day and the first anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.

She said the modernisation project was also meant to ensure safe, secured and comfortable air transport.  According to her, plans are also on to make the airports self sustaining by 2015.  'At the inception of this administration in May, 2011, a comprehensive system audit revealed that there were gross infrastructural deficiencies within the aviation sector.

The airport were in a state that could neither sustain rapid economic development nor take advantage of the market potentials within Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region. We have evolved a new vision and mission to reposition the aviation sector to play a pivotal role in the economic development of Nigeria.''

She said that the sector was capable of promoting critical sectors in the development and transformation of any nation.  Oduah listed such areas of concentration to include transportation, tourism, agriculture, rural development, trade and commerce, manufacturing and other non-oil sectors.

The minister added that the ministry was designing a road map to tackle the numerous challenges facing the sector to make it profitable and a self sustaining world class enterprise.  'The ministry of aviation remains committed to making air transportation the preferred and safest mode of transportation, creating a self -sustaining business model and driving socio-economic growth.'