The Spokesman for the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, Engr. Francis Igwe says despite the challenges in the aviation industry, its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product marginally increased from 0.12 per cent to 0.14 per cent between 2018 and 2019.
According to him, based on the figures by the National Bureau of Statistics, the industry’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product rose to N198.62 billion.
Delivering a lecture as a guest speaker at the 2019/2020 Matriculation ceremony of the Institute of Transport and Management Technology, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Mr. Igwe stressed that among the transportation sub-sectors, aviation recorded the fastest growing activities in the fourth quarter of 2019 as attested to by the NBC figures.
“According to the present Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, ‘’Aviation sector will contribute over N1.2 trillion to Nigeria’s GDP by 2020’’.
Igwe whose paper entitled, ” Aviation: Key Mover of the Global Economic Development”, says, “this implies that the Nigeria’s aviation sector that currently contributes N149.4 billion, an estimation of 0.12% (as at 2018) to the economy. Going by the move to increase the GDP by 1%, Nigeria could see more than 700% increases in two years by the end of 2020”.
He reiterated that Aviation’s contribution to the development of global economy cannot be over emphasized, adding that aviation is first and last in economic development.
“With focus on Nigeria development, Aviation is the centre of her economic development”.
On the global level, Igwe noted that, the industry had created about Eleven Million jobs in the last few years around the world and out of these, about one million and three Hundred Thousand were on the direct job.
A breakdown of these jobs he listed with available statistics includes, employment by Airport Operators of about 64,000, Airline Operators 3.6 million namely Pilots, Cabin Crews, Ground services among others.
Others are, Civil Aerospace 1.3 million, Air Navigation Services 237,000 (ATC), Car rentals, customs, Immigration are about 5,500,00.
“Meanwhile, we had the indirect job creation of about 13.5 million. Also, in Aviation Tourism, about 44.8 million jobs were created as well”.
Apart from job creation, the industry he says generated globally, about $US 3.5 trillion, that is 4.1% of the world GDP annually and carried over 4 billion passengers a year, and nearly 61 million tonnes of freight as well.
The NAAPE PRO expressed optimism that if the future forecast estimation that by the year 2038, that Aviation market would likely create over 145 million jobs globally is anything to go by, the GDP forecast in the same year would be about $US 6.3 Trillion.
