A WELCOME SPEECH BY MR. ALBINUS CHIEDU, AUTHOR, NIGERIA’S AVIATION SECTOR: PEOPLE, BEHAVIOURS BEHIND THE PERFORMANCES, PRESENTED ON THIS THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2024 AT THE BOOK LAUNCH HELD AT GOLFVIEW HOTEL, GRA, IKEJA

Members of the Diplomatic Corps, here present

The Honourable Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN)

Distinguished Chairman and Chief Launcher

Chief Executives of Aviation Agencies and organizations

Distinguished colleagues and members of LAAC

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this public presentation of my book, NIGERIA’S AVIATION SECTOR: PEOPLE, BEHAVIOURS BEHIND THE PERFORMANCES.

First, I wish to express my profound gratitude to you for responding to the invitation to a book launch at a time like this in our sphere of civilization.

Ladies and gentlemen! Since the year 2000 when I came into Nigeria’s aviation industry, I have observed with keen interest, positive and negative behaviours on the part of both leadership and followership in the industry. A combination of good behaviours and bad behaviours by people in the sector in the last 24 years, have combined to bring the industry where it is today.

It is because of human behaviour that I can categorically say that judging the performances of the industry in consideration of expectations or aspirations depends largely on the perspective of whoever is the judge. Although, I admit the fact that I may be too small to claim to know so much about the industry that has so many elders and experts, you would agree with me that it takes a dispassionate mind to actually arrive at an objective declaration of exactly “what ar guan,” as our Jamaicans brothers would say.

There is no perfect endeavour in any sphere of life, including my turf, journalism and book publishing. Although there is also no perfect aviation industry anywhere in the world, there are a few of many examples of relative successes here and there.

According to AVIATION MONITOR’S EDITORIAL of July 1, 2024, Ethiopian Aviation University on June 15, 2024, graduated close to 800 aviation professionals including international trainees from eight African countries and one from Asia, after graduating over 1,550 aviation professionals drawn from seven African countries 10 months earlier (August 5, 2023). I guess you all know also the success story of Ethiopian Airlines. Professionals have also been produced in their hundreds repeatedly by the institution over the years.

Today, Nigeria is armed with two key flying schools in Zaria and Ilorin. An Aviation University is already running in Abuja while several Aviation Training Organizations (ATOs) produce Cabin attendants, Flight Dispatchers and other professionals.

My intention here is not comparism but a proposal. Working with a very deliberate, coordinated well thought out vision on human capital development, Nigeria can at least, be seen to be profitably approaching the leadership position it is supposed to occupy in terms of mass production of aviation professionals or employees for use and for sale to the rest of the world. Nigeria can do it. Yes! We can!,

It is people that run Ethiopia’s aviation industry in Africa. It is human beings that run the British, American and Asian air transport sectors. In those climes, systems don’t run themselves. It is the behaviours of people in administration and management, operations, finance and other technical segments that helped countries that have recorded significant successes, to achieve them.

Human behaviour is critical in success and safety and human factor as you know, has been blamed by most air accident investigation reports for such occurrences.

Ladies and gentlemen! Internationally, civil aviation operation by nature, possesses numerous opportunities for prevention of systems failure and failure of the industry’s operation itself. This is part of why provisions were made for back-ups.

For an airport for instance, there is an alternate airport. For a pilot on commercial scheduled operation, there is a co-pilot. For a radar, there is a back-up radar, and so on. As long as the humans that operate and manage the systems, the processes and the industry itself do not violate required principles, rules and regulations as well as procedures, success is inevitable.

I have said all these to say that the status of Nigeria’s aviation industry today in terms of performance is a product of human behaviour. Inferences from the Holy Bible implies that no human being on earth will go to hell fire for committing sins that have been committed. The sinner is only going to be condemned perpetually at the end, for refusing to believe and accept the free gift of salvation and grace opportunity offered by Jesus Christ the son of God through death sacrifice in order to enjoy victory over sin.

In the same vein, the errors that have been recorded in the past by aviation stakeholders either as mistakes or deliberate acts, are forgivable. This forgiveness will however, be useful and beneficial only if the current individual and corporate players in the sector and those that would join the sector tomorrow, learn from the past absurdities and do things differently.

Please, permit me to note that a lot of people that have passed through or functioned as players in Nigeria’s aviation industry over the years, deserve accolades for their progressive, patriotic and remarkable behaviours, as well as their contributions to the industry’s growth and development. Who are they? This, you will confirm when you read my book.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen! I believe strongly that Nigeria’s air transport industry can gain its rightful place in the global aviation market. This book is my little contribution to accessing the better future that I see for Nigeria’s aviation industry. Therefore, I urge our policy decision makers and every stakeholder to kindly read the book, make further researches and expand on the issues therein in the interest of the future.

Once again, I say welcome!

Thank you for listening. God bless you.