The Federal Government has expressed readiness to welcome the Single African Air Transport Market,SAATM in Nigeria.
To this end, it has concluded plans already in this regard with the expansion of International airports with addition of new terminals and has approved the concession of major international airports in its effort to reposition them for better service delivery.
The African Union Heads of State will next week launch the long-awaited Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during its Heads of State Summit.
At a sensitization workshop organized by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority,NCAA in Lagos on the benefits of the implementation of SAATM in the Nigerian Aviation Industry and the National Economy, Minister of state, Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika said Nigeria recognized the need to provide for enhanced traffic growth that would be an offshoot of the full operationalization of SAATM.
The Minister represented by the Managing Director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu said,” Nigeria being the pioneer member states signatories to Yamoussoukro Decision, one of the 23 states that have so far made solemn commitment to the implementation of SAATM by 2018 has constituted a National implementation committee to review all the subsisting Bilaterial Air Services Agreement, BASA, to be in consonance with YD while the process of domesticating the decision is currently at advance stage”.
Sirika noted that the SAATM which is an AU agenda 2063 in the area of air transportation integration would boost inter-Africa trade, tourism, infrastructural developments and other socio-economic benefits for the sub-region.
Secretary General, Africa Civil Aviation Commission, AFCAC, Ms. Iyabo Sosina said AFCAC was in the forefront of achieving the full implementation of SAATM which 23 African states were committed to ensure it became a reality.
These countries include, Benin, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypy, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo and Zimbabwe.
She emphasized the implementation of SAATM was enormous describing it a win-win for airlines, passengers, airports and air navigation service providers, allied service providers, the tourism industry and the Governments.
According to Sosina, “.passengers will have increased choice of carriers, convenience and ease of travel, better connectivity, better quality and reliable services from competing airlines.
“Increased and efficient utilization of airport facilities and airspace, boost in tourism and trade, 58% of its service exports, improved non- aeronautical revenues, cross- border investment, employment generation etc” she added.
In his welcome address, Director-General, NCAA, Captain Muhtar Usman said the sensitization workshop could not have been more apt given the fact that the continent was now focusing on the development of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Solemn Commitment of the African Union member States with respect to the establishment of a Single Air Transport Market in Africa through the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD).
” It is imperative that we organize this sensitization workshop to intensify awareness campaign among the critical stakeholders (airlines, airports, ANSP, aviation sector downstream, tourism industry etc) on the impact as well as benefits of SAATM on the industry and national economy”.
Usman enjoined all stakeholders to come together to improve the aviation support base in Nigeria and embrace as well as harness the opportunities that a Single African Air Transport Market has to offer.
The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, an initiative of the African Union to create a single unified air transport market in Africa, the liberalisation of civil aviation in Africa and as an impetus to the Continent’s economic integration agenda.
The Single African Air Transport Market is to be attained through the immediate implementation of the 1999 Yamoussoukro Decision (YD).
