The People, Behaviours That Impact On Nigeria’s Aviation Industry
A BOOK REVIEW BY RICHARD AISUEBEOGUN. IAP, Ph.D. AT THE BOOK LAUNCH HELD AT GOLFVIEW HOTEL, GRA, IKEJA, LAGOS ON THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2024
BOOK TITLE: “Nigeria’s Aviation Sector: People, Behaviours Behind The Performances”
AUTHOR – Albinus Emeke Chiedu
NUMBER OF PAGES – 206
PUBLISHER – Aviation Monitor
PLACE OF PUBLICATION – Lagos, Nigeria
YEAR OF PUBLICATION – 2024
BOOK REVIEWER – Dr. Richard Aisuebeogun. IAP; Ph.D.
CONTENTS: This 206-page book contains eleven chapters of texts, photographs, and adverts of organizations.
COVER TITLE: The title of the book, “Nigeria’s Aviation Sector: People, Behaviours Behind The Performances,” says various things to various categories of people.
To players in the industry who believe that the industry has improved significantly over the years, this title drives their urge to grab the book and peruse the pages to see those people that the author must have described as people behind the performances, and find out whether they have been probably enlisted among such achievers.
To those who feel that the Nigerian aviation industry has not lived up to expectations over the years, the title builds aspiration within them to reaffirm their position that the industry has not done well and more importantly, to identify those who the author is possibly blaming for the perceived industry woes.
The title of the book, “ *Nigeria’s Aviation Sector: People, Behaviours Behind The Performances* ,” is, therefore, very inviting and loaded with the power for building curiosity. You would agree with me that the author deserves applause for applying such creativity to the title. Several books on aviation have been published with diverse titles in recent times, but this one is peculiar.
AUTHOR OF THE FOREWORD: The author of the foreword is Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia, an experienced airline pilot and an aviator per excellence, who has invested decades in not only Nigeria but also West Africa’s sub regional aviation industry.
His experience covers various professional facets of the industry, including flight training, airline operations, and management. I suppose the weight of his knowledge of the industry is a reason for his choice by the author to write the book’s foreword. Mshelia’s experience is obvious in the foreword.
CHAPTER ONE: What Human Beings Do To The Sector
The author opens this chapter with his motivation for embarking on this book project; the idea that people must be held accountable for their actions, be they negative or positive, rather than hiding under the guise of the expression “Government,” saying that government has done this or that.
According to him, “Who is government? There is always someone responsible for that decision taken and implemented, and that individual has a brain, a name, a motive (most times, could be selfish) and an intention that is good or detrimental to the sector and the interest of the entire country.”
This chapter equally highlights the impact of human behaviour and the conduct of humans in the entire aviation ecosystem over the years, giving “thumbs up” to players who have taken steps to improve the sector, and blaming those who have contributed to what he called ”the industry’s fluctuating performance.
The chapter also emphasizes the fact that the aviation industry’s performance is determined by the behaviour of individual and corporate players in the sector and impacts on the country’s economy.
The chapter says: “It is motive that produces actions but it is the impact of human behaviour that is judged to be either a curse or blessing to society”. Interestingly, most times, behaviours are conceived and discussed in secret with an assumption that it will remain a mystery to all receivers of such information but according to the Holy Books, there is nothing hidden under the sun and whatever a man sows is what he or she will reap.
Every action that has been taken by every stakeholder in Nigeria’s aviation sector since 1925 is a seed sown to affect the sector’s development positively or negatively.”
Then he says “Apart from historical documentation, this book intends to either honour or shame individuals who have by their roles over the years, either helped or impeded the growth and development of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
This book does not identify ALL the role players in the industry’s achievements and failures over the years. It couldn’t have done so. The results of this research work, therefore, are open for further studies to broaden the scope of understanding and encourage the desirable growth and development of Nigeria’s aviation sector.”
CHAPTER TWO: Human Behaviour Effects
This chapter cites numerous examples of various exhibitions of human behaviour by diverse categories of stakeholders over the years and the effect they have had on the sector. They include operating the industry without a masterplan, running the aviation industry without aviation parastatal boards for several years, and the method of sacking CEOs of government agencies (including some defunct Nigeria Airways MDs) over radio announcements rather than decent procedures. The Nigeria Airways plane hijack of 1993, the demolition of the former AIB now (NSIB) head office at MMA in Lagos, the serving of foreign delicacies onboard foreign airlines’ flights without patronizing local inflight catering and failure of ministers to address this, working in silos by various security personnel at the airports, ban of a particular aircraft type because of a crash, refusal to go through airport security screening because of an individual’s status in the society, the Umar Farouk AbdulMuttalab attempted bombing incident of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 December 25, 2009, the Bullet-Proof car saga of 2014 involving a former Minister of Aviation, FAAN/Bi-courtney controversy, FAAN/MAEVIS airport automation issue, the AVSATEL Total rader coverage saga, the airline bailout issues of 2012 and the people involved, the plight of workers of former Nigeria and NICON Airways respectively, political interference in the administration of agencies, personnel recruitment, aviation unionism, unruly passengers and so on.
This chapter also referred to an incident of a Managing Director who was appointed for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) but had his assumption of office delayed because of human behaviour issues. That Managing Director happens to be my humble self. (I MIGHT SHARE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF WHAT HAPPENED IF NECESSARY)
This chapter also contains photographs of four former Honourable Ministers of Aviation. You surely need to read this book.
CHAPTER THREE: National Carriers
This chapter focuses on our now defunct National Carriers (WT). It begins by highlighting both with pictures and words a few professionals that made Nigeria Airways strong and global player.
It also highlights what the government did and failed to do to those involved in the death of the airline. This chapter equally lists the names of those reportedly involved in the airline’s collapse as captured by Premium Times. It also reflects the plight of the former workers whose retirement benefits payments were delayed.
The book also highlights extensively the government’s numerous efforts to establish another national carrier after the exit of Nigeria Airways and how that expectation has not been actualized to date. Names of those involved in the pursuit of Nigeria’s National carrier project and the extent they went are contained in the book. The chapter also contains photographs of two more stakeholders. You need to read this book.
CHAPTER FOUR: Private Airlines Emergence
This chapter on private airline owners catalogues some 31 owners of private airlines in Nigeria’s aviation history, giving their brief profiles. It also has owners of four helicopter operators, 14 foreign airlines, two fixed-based operators and four aircraft maintenance operators. This chapter equally has photographs of union protests and some conferences that have been held in the industry. You need to read this book.
CHAPTER FIVE: How Airlines Allow Accidents To Happen
This chapter identifies several things that airline operators ought to do but fail to do, which eventually results in accidents, including safety violations. This chapter could have been written from the background of the fact that 75% of global accidents have been attributed to human factors.
CHAPTER SIX: Who are The people?
This chapter titled “Who Are The People?” typically explains the word, “People” in the book’s title, identifying so many individual players that have functioned in various capacities in the industry over the years and their contributions to its overall performance. It lists aviation ministers from 1957 till date,chieff executives of aviation agencies, and some pioneers and firsts in the industry.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Allied Sector Players
This chapter identified some aviation and allied business sector players, including major and independent jet fuel suppliers and some private jet owners and operators. It also offers some education on passenger rights and awareness under consumer protection and contains a pilot’s answers to certain questions that people ask regarding air travel and aircraft functions.
CHAPTER EIGHT: Training and Manpower.
This focuses on training and manpower, listing some privately owned aviation training organizations in Nigeria’s history. It features a write up on how brain drain in the sector can be turned into gain for Nigeria. It equally elicits stakeholder discussions on staff welfare and professionalism in the industry. An incisive and elaborate public presentation by the NUATE President titled “Sustainability of The Aviation Industry In Nigeria: Aviation Workers’ Perspective is also in this chapter. You can’t afford not to read this book.
CHAPTER NINE:
This chapter focuses on the author, Albinus Chiedu’s input in the industry within the last 24 years, that he has been involved in aviation journalism.
It particularly highlights the conferences he has organized and the communiqués issued as well as the impact they have made on the sector. Of particular note here is that the chapter ends with SOME INDUSTRY ASSIGNMENTS FOR PRESSENT AND FUTURE AVIATION MINISTERS, PUBLISHED ON APRIL 16TH 2024. They are his recommendations and I think this is an applaudable thing to do.
CHAPTER TEN: Aviation Safety Round Table Initiatives
This is a chapter on the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI,) a non-profit private sector-driven initiative pressure group, created to promote the growth of the industry through professional integrity. It simply highlights some of its contributions to the sector’s development, especially from its quarterly organised forum since its inception, which he, Albinus Chiedu, has been a member.
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
This contains some editorials that have been published by Aviation Monitor on www.aviationmonitorng.com.
BOOK DESIGN, LANGUAGE AND TEXT
The colour combinations of the cover of this book gives it a beautiful outlook.
The language used by the author is simple, and the examples are raw and easy to understand. The choice of aerial font size 12 for use as text and the interesting nature of the issues of discussion all combine to make readability easy and build the urge to keep reading until you find yourself on the last page.
Also, this book is unique because it has dedicated pages for references and appendix.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, apart from the holy books, there is no perfect book in the world. This book is not perfect. However, despite a few minor omissions by the author, which I believe are not deliberate, this book, Nigeria’s Aviation Sector: People, Behaviours Behind The Performances is a product of deep research and like the author said in chapter one, more studies and research can be done on the subjects of discuss.
The book gives a profile of where Nigeria’s aviation industry is coming from, particularly as regards behaviours of individual players and recommends what should be done to preserve the sector for the coming generation of aviators in this part of the world.
I will recommend this book for everyone intending to enlist in the sectors as an investor, a player, or a professional. It will also be very useful to ministers in charge of aviation (present and future), chief executives of aviation agencies, airlines, allied business operators, aviation training institutions, and all other stakeholders.
Thank you.
Richard Aisuebegun. Ph.D.
SEE PHOTOS FROM THE BOOK LAUNCH
