LAAC Calls For More Stakeholder Consultations Before Policy Decisions
The League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), has called for “for stronger and more structured engagement among the federal government, aviation agencies, airlines, airport operators, labour, investors and other stakeholders before major fiscal or regulatory decisions affecting the sector are implemented.
Welcoming participants to the 30th Annual Conference of (LAAC) held at Providence Hotel, Lagos under the theme, Towards A Sustainable Aviation Industry: Balancing Government Revenue Demands With Sector Growth, Chairman of LAAC, Mr. Suleiman Idris said “the industry must be given a seat at the table. Consultation should not merely be about informing stakeholders of decisions that have already been taken. It should involve meaningful dialogue in which industry concerns are considered before policies are finalized.”
He commended the role “our aviation agencies have played and continue to play in maintaining the delicate balance between effective regulation, consumer protection, the creation of an environment in which operators can thrive, the continuous improvement in airport infrastructure, passenger experience and operational efficiencies as well as the continuous efforts to modernize air navigation infrastructure and improve the efficiency and safety of Nigeria’s airspace.
We also commend the efforts being made by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our amiable and dynamic Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), towards repositioning the sector.”
“The industry is too important to Nigeria’s economy for journalism to be reduced to routine reporting.
Our responsibility is to ask difficult questions, provide context, scrutinize policies, expose gaps and also acknowledge progress where it occurs. We must and will report the industry fairly. Where the government gets it right, we will say so. Where operators demonstrate resilience and innovation, we will highlight it. Where regulatory intervention protects the travelling public, we will acknowledge it. But where policies threaten the sustainability of the industry, we will also raise the alarm. That is our responsibility as professional aviation press.
The league remains committed to promoting journalism that is factual, balanced, responsible and development-oriented,” said Idris.
He further explained that “government has legitimate revenue requirements to fund critical areas of national development. Government-owned and regulated aviation institutions also require sustainable revenue to discharge their statutory responsibilities.
But the challenge before us is not whether government should generate revenue from aviation. The more important question is: How much revenue can the sector reasonably bear without undermining its capacity to grow? This is the difficult balance that our conference seeks to interrogate.”
