Supervising Minister of Aviation, Mr. Samuel Ortom.

Dele Ogbodo

Indication emerged yesterday that federal government was mulling a collaborative synergy with some Chinese aviation experts to float the long-awaited national carrier.

Expressing optimism on the synergy, the supervising Minister of Aviation, Mr. Samuel Ortom, yesterday expressed the federal government preparedness to partner the Chinese investors on the national carrier, which would have both the private and public sectors as stakeholders in the project.

He promised that the government would create enabling environment for investors in the aviation industry, adding, that the government was willing to work with genuine investors to float the national carrier which the country seriously needed.

Making the disclosure after receiving the Chinese business delegation led by Mr. Wang Wengsu to his office in Abuja, the minister  said it was gratifying to note that the Chinese aviation experts and bankers were in the country to further explore the opportunities of collaboration in the sector.

While the preliminary discussion had commenced, the minister said the partnership would involve the entire stakeholders of both the private and public sectors in the discussion and negotiation.

He stated that the experts from the government would involve officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA)

"With the meeting commencing tomorrow with the Chinese, our technical experts and members of the airlines of Nigeria, he assured Nigerians that a sustainable programme would emerge that will usher the country into a stable aviation industry in the nation.”

In a remark, the Director General of China's Development and the Managing Director of China Academy of Civil Aviation Science Technology, Messrs Wang Wensug and Zhu Nuo, expressed confidence that the discussion would yield tremendous economic benefits to Nigeria.

Wengsug said: "China is ready to go into strategic partnership with Nigeria, especially in the area of aviation because of the pool of expertise that we can bring to bear."

He added that China's economic partnership was not hinged on exploitation, but on win-win situation.


Source: ThisDay