The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) on Wednesday highlighted the importance of aviation to the continent, calling for more cooperation among member states.
Speaking at the Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit held in Lagos, AFCAC Secretary-General, Funke Adeyemi, said Africa’s aviation sector has contributed more than 8.1 million jobs to the continent.
She attributed the feat to the creation of 124 new air routes on the continent within the past three years.
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“One hundred and twenty-four new routes have opened, carrying 113 million passengers over the past three years,” she said.
“This has contributed 75 billion to the African Gross Domestic Product and contributed 8.1 million jobs, just from aviation and its affiliates alone.
“This is a lot in terms of progress, but in terms of the scale and scope of Africa, some may say it is just a drop in the ocean.
“Our appeal to you all is to work with us, continue this journey with us. Just as little children are born, and they grow very slowly, and all of a sudden they are shooting up, this is what will be the story for African and Nigerian aviation.”
AFCAC is an agency of the African Union headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. The purpose is to assist member states with a framework to discuss and plan the coordination, cooperation, development, and regulation of civil aviation in Africa
During the summit, the Nigerian-born AFCAC boss commended the Nigerian government for organising the programme.
She particularly singled out the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for some innovations he has initiated to transform the sector in Nigeria.
Apart from the Aviation Minister and the AFCAC boss, other dignitaries that graced the summit include the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Abia State counterpart, Alex Otti, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, as well as the Director General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, among others.
While Sanwo-Olu was represented by his Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment (MCCTI), Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Otti sent his Commissioner for Transportation, Chimezie Ukaegbu.
