By ABUBAKAR YUSUF

Most conception in Nigeria, especially in the public sector has been shrouded in mystery laced with unrealisable dreams, especially when it has to do with public service, where the general belief is planning with less emphasis on execution or achieving results.

But, for the Aviation Ministry, the mix in experience and exposure of the current handler and Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, both from private and public sector, has paid off finally, and Nigeria has now gotten a replacement for the defunct 'Nigeria Airways' as national carrier with the birth of 'Air Nigeria' in June this year, after a long dream conceived by the Aviation Ministry, precisely in 2015.

Worried by the level of decadence and non-participation of Nigerians in the running of airlines for decades after the Nigeria Airways aircraft was sold to private airliners to discourage the continuous running of government wholly in the day-to-day affairs of business of airline.

Subsequent Nigeria governments found it difficult to replace the defunct Nigeria Airways, many decades after, not untill the Pilot Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, came on board in 2015.

Determined to change the tide and extricate Nigeria from the embarrassing trend and operations of other countries’ airlines operating the country, Hadi relived the spirit and kept the ball rolling to make a replacement without further delay.

With over 7million passengers flying Nigerian airports and over one million trips made by both domestic and foreign airlines over the years to Nigeria from other countries, the need to launch another revised form of exploits and explorations by Nigerian government, through the floating of another national carrier known as 'Air Nigeria ' cannot be over-emphasised.

With the current leadership in the Ministry of Aviation powered by the Distinguish Senator Hadi Sirika, outstanding payments and financial commitments of staffers of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways have been cleared, thereby providing a clean slate for the launch of a new national carrier, 'Air Nigeria.'

With the launch of Air Nigeria in June, no doubt the Aviation industry, though not wholly a public entity from the approach and new design of the new national carrier, it will create employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The launch weighed down by the lockdown as a result of COVID-19 that ravaged many countries before now, and the wisdom of the Aviation Ministry to bail out some local airlines, it became obligatory on the government to establish and realise the dream of a national carrier.

Coming from a distinct professional, astute administrator and outstanding public officer of note, the arrangement and policy thrust of the new national carrier, Air Nigeria was a departure from the pitfalls of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, to gourd against any future eventualities against insolvency, mismanagement and maladministration.

Sirika's pet project that has given the managers of the Aviation Ministry under his leadership sleepless nights was the debut of Air Nigeria geared towards full deregulation of the industry with a view to realising its full operational potentials.

With the concession arrangements at top gear and the concessioning of 17 Nigerian Airports, no doubt, both local, international and national carriers will display it's full potentials through efficiency, professionalism, service delivery and best practices.

With the launch of Air Nigeria, it will be the birth of a new chapter in the Aviation industry, more than six decades into Nigeria independence that was characterized with private, commercial and moribund Nigeria Airways.

The giant strides of Senator Hadi Sirika, the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, will remain unrivaled and unsurpassed, many years after the end of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari that spanned between 2015-2023.

This has brought to an end, criticisms, cynicisms and the activities of naysayers who never saw anything good in establishing a new national carrier under the current dispensation.

For Sirika, aside being a professional, an expert and administrator in the Aviation industry, he has written his name in gold in the annals of Nigeria’s aviation history that may not be surpassed in many years to come.

•Abubakar Yusuf, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Abuja. All enquiries to yus.abubakar3@gmail.com

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