Africa Has Resolved to Implement Single Air Transport Market, Says Sirika

* NCAA seeks removal from public service

Chinedu Eze

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has said that Africa had resolved to implement a Single Air Transport Market in Africa (SAATM) to advance liberalisation.

This is coming as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)  disclosed that it was seeking its removal from the public service sector.
Sirika made this known at the weekend during his closing remarks at a five-day International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2022) in Abuja.

He said that SAATM, being a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, would boost the continent`s economic integration agenda.
According to him, SAATM will ensure aviation plays a major role in connecting Africa, promoting its social, economic and political integration and boosting intra-Africa trade and tourism as a result.

The minister noted that SAATM was created to expedite the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision.
“I am very excited as you spent about a week with us. I was equally excited for Nigeria to host this very important event.
“There are new developments that we derived from this, in particular, our resolve to implement Single Air Transport Market in Africa (SAATM).
“This is in the spirit of actualising Agenda 2063, which will unify and integrate Africa and connect its people, future and posture.
“It will also open the borders to connect the whole world.

“Aviation ought to play its role in connecting our markets, places, friends and families among others,” the minister said.
He said the series of engagements and negotiations during the event indicated that the “ICAAN 2022 was delivered objectively. “
Sirika said achievement in human and services, improving some Memoranda of Understanding  (MoUs) within the states during the event, would eventually co-increase air connectivity in Africa and globally.

Also speaking at the weekend, the Republic of Seychelles’ Minister of Transport, Mr. Anthony Derjacques, said that SAATM would open up Africa’s skies and promote the value of aviation throughout the continent.

Derjacques further said that opening air arrangements would boost traffic, drive economies and create jobs.
In his own part, Mr. Mohamed Rahma, the Director, Air Transport Bureau of International Civil Aviation Oganisation (ICAO), commended Nigeria and other stakeholders for their contributions towards a successful ICAAN 2022 event in Nigeria.

According to him, 63 states (47 in-person and 16 virtual), 417 participants (321 in-person and 96 virtual), were involved in the various meetings during the event.
Rahma said that ICAO’s long-term vision for international air transportation liberation was to improve social and economic needs, expand markets and states’ collaborations across the world.

Meanwhile, the NCAA has disclosed that it was seeking the removal of the agency from the public service sector.
The Director General NCAA, Capt. Nuhu Musa, disclosed this weekend at the closing ceremony of the same event held in Abuja.
According to Nuhu, this had become necessary because the members of staff of the agency were supposed to be earning at least the same or even better than the people they were overseeing, adding that NCAA being a public sector organisation was therefore under the public service rules.

He, however, noted that the NCAA was communicating with the Ministry of Aviation and the National Assembly to see how the process could be achieved, adding however that it was a very long process.
He said they were also speaking with relevant industry experts to seek advice and experience in other to attract young people in the right number and quality in other to significantly impact the aviation industry.

Fielding questions from journalists on how the agency can help improve the numeration of their staff, Nuhu said, “That’s a very important issue the industry has raised; they are the ones that suffer the most when we do not have adequate staff to cater for the services they require from us.
“Several ICAO documents recommendations reveal that inspectorate division, inspectors and all those serving the industry are supposed to earn at least the same as the people they are overseeing but the NCAA being a public sector organisation is under the civil service rules.
“We are communicating with the relevant authorities, the Ministry of Aviation and National Assembly so that we can see how the NCAA can be removed from the public service sector.”