The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, said on Thursday that the Federal Government was ready to provide support and enabling environment to investors eager to invest in civil aviation.
A statement issued in Abuja by Mr James Odaudu, Director of Public Affairs in the ministry, quoted Sirika as saying this when he inspected aviation facilities at the Caverton Helicopters headquarters in Lagos.
The statement listed the facilities to include the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) outlet being established by the organisation and a newly acquired Simulator for the training of pilots.
Sirika said that one of the primary objectives of government was to provide full support to entrepreneurs in order to provide the needed services and employments for people.
“ This is exactly what is happening here at Caverton Helicopters; I am willing to continue to support Caverton and other investors in civil aviation.
“ The ministry is reorienting civil aviation bodies, who are regulators, to shift focus of being police in the industry to being enabler in the industry.
“ This is to create partnership that will help the industry and provide service and employment for our people to kick start the economy and add to the GDP of the country,” the minister said.
He said that investments in Civil Aviation by Caverton Helicopters would certainly create more employment opportunities for the people and provide service that were needed in the country.
Sirika, who stated that aviation industry and services were dominated by foreigners before now, added that Caverton Helicopters’ massive investments would bridge the gap by creating space for Nigeria to participate.
He thanked the Chairman of Caverton Helicopters for the foresight and decision to participate in civil aviation industry.
He also thanked FAAN for providing the parcel of the land, saying that the facilities would shore up revenue and boost activities within the airport.
The Caverton Group Chairman, Chief Aderemi Makanjuola, thanked the minister for the visit, saying that the guidance of the agencies under the ministry had helped the organisation to get it right.
Makanjuola reassured the minister of Caverton’s commitment to fully partnering with the ministry to achieve its developmental objectives.
“The facility will also ensure capacity development and stop capital fly. We know other industry participants spend millions of dollars flying out their pilots for capacity training in various simulators all around the world.
“ Caverton has an annual budget of over $3 millions spent for flying pilots to various facilities in Dubai, USA, Europe for training.
“There are no many Helicopter training facilities around the world, this one in Nigeria will definitely bring in a lot of capital in flow to the country,” he said.
The minister later inspected the Taxiway B under construction at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and met with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
He commended the commitment and passion of the staff to duty during the lockdown and airport reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, all steps being taken to develop the aviation industry are in the overall interest of the nation.
