The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed plans by the Federal Government to establish an aircraft manufacturing firm in Nigeria.
The facility is a collaboration between XeJet and indigenous banks, aiming to transform Nigeria into a regional hub for aviation services.
Keyamo announced this during the launch of XeJet’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, MRO, facility and flight support centre in Abuja.
He noted that the move aligned with the government’s vision to support local operators and boost the nation’s aviation industry.
Keyamo said: “Since we came to office, we’ve been focused on attracting MRO facilities to our aviation ecosystem, just as they exist in other parts of the world.
“We’ve searched far and wide for investors, but now we see that what we were looking for elsewhere is right here at home. This collaboration between an indigenous operator and local banks is a dream come true.”
Emphasising the project’s significance, the minister noted the inclusion of additional facilities, such as a training centre, which he described as “a huge achievement.”
Keyamo added: “This development will not only serve Nigeria but will attract users from across the West African sub-region. That’s the dream—to make this facility a regional centre for excellence.”
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Presidency Proposes Stricter Sanctions On Airlines Over Flight Cancellations, Delays
The Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU) has proposed a review of the draft policy on sanctions for airlines to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Bala Usman, who disclosed this on the CRDCU’s Twitter handle, made this recommendation during the Q1–Q3 2024 Performance Assessment Report on implementing presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables.
She noted that given the increasing number of flight delays and cancellations and their impact on affected passengers, revisiting the policy was necessary.
Usman also recommended revising the current target of 224 days for resolving customer complaints.
The statement reads: “The CRDCU led by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, this morning continued its engagement with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, to review the Q1–Q3 2024 Performance Assessment Report on the implementation of Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables.
“The first engagement of the day was held at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, where the Special Adviser met with the Minister, Festus Keyamo; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Kana; the Managing Director/CEO of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku; and other Heads of Departments and Agencies under the Ministry.
“The Special Adviser commended the Minister and leadership of the Ministry for ensuring progress within the sector. However, she expressed concerns with the Ministry and its agencies over their submission of incomplete information, which hinders the independent assessment of progress towards achieving specific deliverables. She also highlighted the Ministry’s stakeholder and customer engagement shortcomings, a key deliverable requiring urgent improvement.
“The Special Adviser recommended that the Ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, revisit the draft policy on sanctions for airlines. She described this as critical given the increasing number of flight delays and cancellations and the impact on affected passengers. She further recommended revising the current target of 224 days to resolve customer complaints, describing it as unrealistic and needing urgent recalibration to align with global best practices.
“Following the presentation of the Ministry’s performance scorecard for Q1–Q3 2024, the Minister expressed his appreciation to the Special Adviser for her diligent work and guidance.
“He assured her that the Ministry would address the highlighted challenges and intensify efforts to improve performance and service delivery in the aviation sector.”
