By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said the ministry would commit to private partnerships as part of efforts to deliver projects and infrastructure within the aviation industry.

Keyamo said this at the inspection and commissioning of a hospitality project at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and private companies to successfully implement projects and drive growth in the sector.

The Minister disclosed that the Ministry can no longer reply on budgetary allocation to fund its ambition, stressing the need for private investment in infrastructure development, and technology upgrades to meet the growing demands of the sector.

The Minister urged stakeholders in the aviation sector to embrace partnerships with private companies and explore new avenues for collaboration.

He said: “For now our focus in the aviation sector is to collaborate with the private sector. The reason is that all the ministries that have to do with infrastructure within the country, our budgetary system cannot fund our ambition in terms of infrastructure. The budgetary system can no longer fund projects.

“What we have been doing is to attract private sector participation in the development of our infrastructure and enhance passenger experience. A lot of the private sector collaboration is in the kitchen cooking.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, said that the project was in line with the agency’s mandate ‘“to provide our passengers within the airport environment in Nigeria.”

She added that the project will not only help the ministry generate more funds to achieve its ambitions but will improve passengers’ experience.

“FAAN has been given the mandate to improve passenger experience of every user of airport facilities in Nigeria.

“We are grateful to the MRS team because this is indeed a step forward as we start to make sure that all our passengers have an amazing experience. It is a 23-room facility with a restaurant, wellness facility, and meeting rooms for conferences. This is the beginning of a remarkable partnership between the Ministry of Aviation FAAN and MRS group. Everyone should have thought through and begun to change our business model,” she added.

The Acting Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Captain Chris Njomo, reassured Nigerians about the security of the hospitality center, adding that the project is duly regulated.