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Sunny Edemenang – Uyo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Kayemo, SAN, has lauded the government of Akwa Ibom State for providing world-class facilities at Victor Attach International Airport capable of providing solutions to problems hampering aviation sector, conserve foreign exchange and meet international obligations.
The minister made this known during inspection of the New International Terminal Building and the Maintenance Repair and Operate, MRO facilities at Victor Attah International Airport, as part of his working visit across party lines to Akwa Ibom State, recently.
The minister noted that, “One of the problems hampering the operation of the aviation sector in Nigeria has always been the lack of facilities such as these. Our aircrafts will go out of the country for maintenance and may be there for months. But with this facility, we can conserve foreign exchange so they may meet their international obligations”.
“The first things I identified when I came into office was the need for us to have a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria, a world-class one and what I have seen here, meets that need”.
“The airport is not only for Akwa Ibom, it is for Nigeria and Africa with huge potential to capture the whole of the markets in West and Central Africa, and even up to North Africa. It’s a proper hub where we can process international passengers and transfer them from one section to the other for them to catch their international flights”.
He appreciated the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno whom he described as the finisher of what his predecessors have started. The minister confirmed that the Smart Terminal has met all standards to be certified into international airport. “I will mobilize all the agencies in my Ministry, all the regulatory bodies to make sure they give you 100 percent support and we are confident you will keep to international standards”, he concluded.
The Minister’s working visit came on the heels of Governor Umo Eno’s earlier meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, late last year, to solicit support of the federal government towards the formal take off of the MRO and Smart International Airport Terminal. The minister was also paid a courtesy call by the governor.
