- The minister said the fact that Nigeria has not fixed its infrastructural deficit does not mean it will not try and showcase itself to the world to attract in investors into the country.
The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigeria remains the most viable country for aviation market in the whole of Africa.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made the disclosure on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He asserted that Nigeria has what it takes to become an African aviation hub, stressing that the country must open up its market to attract investors who will help improve its infrastructure.
“Nigeria is the most viable country in Africa when it comes to aviation, largest population, largest traffic, most positioned country to be a hub in Africa. So, let us begin to attract people to come,”
On why he is bidding to host an airshow in the country with its largely substandard and in many places obsolete and decrepit aviation infrastructures, the minister said the fact that Nigeria has not fixed its infrastructural deficit does not mean it will not try and showcase itself to the world to attract investors into the country.
According to him, the only way forward in terms of infrastructure is to attract private investors because budgetary allocations cannot carry the big infrastructure plan.
He added, “The president in his wisdom has also instituted what we call the Renewed Hope Fund, but that also will provide counterpart fund. It will not provide the full funding for some big infrastructure. So, what do we want to do?
“We have gone round the world and seen airshows across the world, Nigeria has not held an airshow before. An airshow is when you open up the country for investors to come and display their wares.”