Chairman, Akwa Ibom Airport Project Implementation Committee, Air Commodore, Idongesit Nkanga (retd.), says the call for acquisition of new airplanes is not the solution to the nation’s aviation problems. He spoke with OYETUNJI ABIOYE
How can Nigeria overcome the spate of air incidents and accidents?
Accident and aviation don’t like to go on the same direction; if there is an accident in aviation, it becomes a global issue. But we don’t want that as a nation. So, training is very important. That is why when there is an accident and the panel wants to probe you, they will first of all ask if you were assigned the duty and if the response is positive. They will ask you if you have the skills, which means your initial and refresher trainings. If the answers to the two are positive, then, you go in for it, not your boss or your director.
That is the way the aviation industry is programmed. In fact, the best equipment in your aircraft needs a well-trained crew. We say we need new aircraft; but this is not what will solve the problem. What will solve the problem is well-trained crew. Once you have that, you can have a rest of mind. That is why we are always crying that we need to train people.
How much has your committee spent on this project so far?
You can’t get that straight off from here. But I can only say we estimated $250m for the project. We have gone into phase two. I won’t think we have exceeded that for now, but again, we’ve got to a stage now that private investors would come in.
In case you don’t find one, don’t you think this airport project might go the way of other abandoned ones?
No. I have pursued this project with passion and that is because I have history behind me. When I was overseeing the affairs of this state as a military governor then, I knew very well that the state needed an airport. As a matter of fact, when the former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, came, my request was for us to have an airport, which the President then accepted. The minister then was Graham Douglas. The President did not just see it as a project for the state. But its proximity to Equatorial Guinea made it important because as at then, we were having hostilities with South Africa. And if the military aircraft took off then, they would finish all these economic belts. This is Port Harcourt with our petroleum and all that. So, it was evident that we needed an airport around there. Besides, we will also have commercial traffic coming in, which was after my heart. But eventually, I left and it was abandoned by my successors. However, the moment this idea came up again and I was asked to come, I put in the best that I can and I’ve been lucky because government has been very supportive. It’s not easy to see a government putting up this much money especially when you cannot feel it.
People only see that passengers can now come from Lagos or elsewhere and land at the airport. They don’t understand what a Maintenance Repairs and Overhaul facility (aircraft maintenance hangar) will do for you, but when I explained this to the governor, it was difficult. That is where the money would come and the government has seen it and has consistently put money into it over and above any other project. So, I’m lucky that I have a supportive government and it has got to a position that it can no longer be abandoned. People have seen it and they like it.
Why do you need aircraft maintenance at the airport?
There are lots of our aircraft that are flying out of this country and they don’t have easy access to maintenance. You have to take your aircraft to Europe for maintenance. Even the cost of ferrying is enough to discourage you. If it is closer to you, and labour, which invariably might be cheaper, then an operator will be happy and willing to keep to its maintenance schedule. This is why an aircraft maintenance facility is being built beside the Ibom Airport. We have also looked at it that within this Gulf region, the oil companies are crying for movement of cargo, but we don’t have it, but we are now determined to pursue that with the planned construction of a terminal cargo, which is already designed by the government. Cargo business is a very big business.
What efforts have you made to ensure that people are trained to handle these facilities?
We have spent around N2.5bn on training of manpower in different countries both in Africa, Europe and America. Aviation business is highly capital intensive, but it will pay you more in the future. We’ve found out that maybe because of its close correlation with technology, aviation will be the future. If you invest in that area, you are likely to reap a lot of dividends in the future.
How many people have been trained with the huge funds?
For now, no fewer than 471 technical personnel have been trained by the state in operations, engineering, ATC and so on. We will continue to train more people because it is not just this airport, we are looking at aviation as a place to invest. So, even if we train more than what we require here, we will send them out to help the industry. It’s part of the manpower development for the country. As far as 2008, we trained people in Air Traffic Control, but because of the existing laws, they were not licensed and you know in an airport you want to operate continuously, the ATC must be in good numbers. Then, we were having that handicap and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency sent a few people on Memorandum of Understanding basis because they are the service provider, but we have our own people that we trained, who were not licensed then for them to take responsibilities because of an existing 1964 law, but that has changed now. When the MD NAMA came, he took over the people that we have trained and put them now to help Nigeria and just gave us enough so that we can operate our airport to run for 24-hour.