Nigerian Airports Not Below Average- Bello

Hajia Binta Bello, permanent secretary, Ministry of Aviation, has watered-down a recent rating published and making rounds that Nigerian airports are bad and rife with so many challenges.

This is just as she said compromises among players in the aviation industry have to be made in other to achieve a balance and a situation where everyone is satisfied to a point without rancour

According to a report by Nigerian Flight Deck, Hajia Bello made the remark at the 21st Annual League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC) with theme “Achieving a Win-Win Aviation Sector in Nigeria”

On the ratings, Binta explained that there are ongoing works in and around some of the airports and everything would be in proper shape once the works around the airports are done.

The Permanent Secretary said,”It is up to the leaders to agree or to disagree on the rating. When I saw the rating, the question I asked is that: do we still have touts at the airports? Are our airports dirty? Are we corrupt? Do we agree with all those questions?”

“It is something that I cannot categorically say yes we are corrupt, our airports are not clean, and our airports are congested, and so on. I am sure you can actually say if these airports are actually dirty, if this airports are full of touts, if these airports are chaotic, this morning I flew in from Abuja airport about five airlines were boarding at the same time I did not see any chaos there, it was a smooth operation, passengers were going into their various aircraft of the various airlines operators and the whole operations was very smooth so I cannot accept that the airports are dirty”

“I cannot accept that the airports are congested, if we have a temporary challenge, it is because of the constructions that is going on at our airports, In Abuja for instance, we have work going on there and when all these are done, all will be in proper shape

In her keynote address, Bello said that all stakeholders need to take into account the way that their own decisions and choices affect all others.

“When this occurs, and when all participants develop a strategy which benefits the “whole”, a win-win situation develops. It should be stated that not everyone in every possible permutation of this scenario wins exactly the same thing or the equivalent amount.”

According to her, the basis for any win-win situation is that compromise and cooperation must be more than or at least as important as ego and competition.

“The Federal Ministry of Aviation recognizes the importance of creating the win-win situations in the sector and this informs the regular stakeholder meetings and forums being organized to carry everybody along in policy decisions by the regulators.  They are intended to ensure that diverse interests are aggregated and equitably catered for.”