Ban obsolete aircraft from Nigerian airspace, NSE tells FG

Following the high rate of air disasters in the country and in line with reforms in the aviation sector, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), yesterday demanded that only brand new aircraft should be al­lowed to operate in the Ni­gerian airspace.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, the President of NSE, Ademola Isaac Olorunfemi, said that aviation is the life blood of global economy.

“It remains the most so­phisticated industries in the world with enormous poten­tial economic advantages. We commend the president for embarking on the restruc­turing of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). However, the government must deliberately continue to create enabling environ­ment for the industry to thrive through strategic policy for­mulation,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria has 22 federally-owned air­ports and an estimated pas­senger volume of 15 to 20 million by the year 2020, an indication that the country must ensure sound economic policies to make aviation a vehicle for national develop­ment and transformation.

“The public wants to be assured that aviation is safe. They want an aviation indus­try that offers choice and val­ue. This can only be achieved by paying quality attention to safety, surveillance and hu­man capital development in the industry,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a bid to tackle unemployment and low productivity in the Nige­rian economy, NSE and the Small and Medium Enter­prises Development Agency (SMEDAN) are collaborating with the signing of a Memo­randum of Understanding (MoU) between them.

The MoU is aimed at en­suring the substitution of im­ported products with indig­enous alternatives, advocate and create awareness within the Micro, Small and Me­dium Enterprises (MSMEs) subsector on the need to im­bibe the culture of patronis­ing made in Nigeria goods, among other objectives.

Also speaking, the NSE president disclosed that in the MoU, the society shall identify research output and recommend same to SMED­AN for commercialisation. It will also provide information on available technologies in research institutions and ad­vocate the mopping up of ex­isting MSMEs development funds in various organisa­tions for their effective utili­sation to promote MSMEs in Nigeria.

This, according to him, would bring about the much-needed provision of sustain­able infrastructure for the socio-economic development of Nigeria. Director General of SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Masari, stated that the MoU would help in increasing pro­ductivity and tackle the high unemployment issue within the Nigerian economy.



THE SUN