Aviation Fuel: No Immediate Solution to Multi-pronged Crises, Sirika Tells Airline Operators

Kasim Sumaina

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has said there are no immediate solutions to the multi-pronged crises rocking Nigeria’s aviation sector

The minister who held an emergency meeting with the Airline Operators Association of Nigeria (AON) in Abuja, yesterday, stated that the variables impacting the crises in the aviation sector were beyond the industry’s control thus, “there is no immediate solution.”

He maintained that there was no short term solution because of the variables involved, stressing that it was a global challenge.

He noted that the global energy crises was real, adding: “Today there is aviation fuel problem all over the world. From America to New Zealand. It is aggravating in Nigeria because we don’t produce the product. It’s aggravated also because the foreign exchange is scarce in Nigeria because the source of earning the foreign exchange also has dwindled.”

Sirika reiterated that the federal government had in the past sourced 10,000 metric tonnes of aviation fuel for the airlines, adding that the government was willing to do more.

According to him, “As we speak, the government is in the process of finding a permanent solution to this issue and some of the solutions includes: importation of the product at appropriate price, accelerating the refurbishment of our refineries and also wait for the coming on stream of Dangote Refinery to boost supply of the product, thus he submitted that it cannot be soon.”

He further said, “So when you ask how soon, I wouldn’t know when Dangote will come on stream, I wouldn’t know how soon the refineries will be filled, I wouldn’t know when imports would become sufficient. But the government is working towards all these to happen.”

He also promised to meet with relevant stakeholders including the Central Bank of Nigeria so that the airlines could access dollars at the official market rate rather than the black market rate.

In his remarks, the President, AON, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina said the aviation fuel crises began from N180 per litre and now it’s at about N1000 per litre.

He also said the forex crises was a huge burden on the industry.

Speaking in same vein, the Vice President of AON, Mr. Allen Oyeama, said the association was satisfied with government’s intervention in the Industry.

He also agreed that the solution was not in the short-term, stating: “It is not easy to give a timeline to issues like this because the challenge is global. Even the American airlines are threatened too. It’s not only Nigeria. Which is why we are pleading with the government. But we are pleased so far.”