The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has restated the nation’s commitment to the ideals of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Sirika disclosed this during the 2022 celebration of the International Civil Aviation Day in Abuja.
According to Sirika, the theme for this year’s commemoration “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”, aligns with the belief of the Nigerian government that aviation is a channel to achieving the development of other sectors, as it remains the fastest and safest mode for domestic and international movement.
This belief, he said, has informed the government’s commitment to the development of the sector for which it developed a roadmap at the inception of the Buhari administration.
The implementation of the roadmap has led to several record-breaking achievements in the nation’s aviation industry which have been variously acknowledged and applauded by ICAO.
“Globally, it is a well-known fact that aviation doubles every 15 years, but, in the case of Nigeria, it has more than doubled and in another 15 years, it will quadruple.
“According to the National Bureau of Statistics, aviation became the fastest growing sector of the economy pre-Covid and, during Covid, the third fastest. After Covid, according to the Airport Council International (ACI), we are at 111 per cent of pre-Covid numbers. Apart from Colombia, we are the only country on earth that recovered so fast and we have added even 11 per cent of pre-covid numbers.”
These statistics, according to Sirika, reinforce the continuous commitment of Nigeria to the ideals and aspirations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation whose regulations have continued to guide the industry in ensuring the safety records that the country has established.
The minister, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, the government and the people of Nigeria, congratulated the president of the ICAO council, Salvatore Siacchitano and members of the global aviation community present in the country for the ICAN22 event and hoped that Nigeria will continue to have the privilege of hosting more ICAO events in the future.
The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of states and of the unique role of ICAO in helping states to cooperate and realise a truly global rapid transit network for the good of all mankind.
