Lack of collaboration, data stifling airlines’ growth – Ground handlers

Olaniyi Adigun, the Chairman of, the Aviation Ground Handling Association of Nigeria (AGHAN), has declared that without collaboration, consolidation and believable data, the Nigerian aviation industry would continue to lag.

Speaking as one of the panellists at the 28th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) with the theme: ‘Aviation Survivability Amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment,’ held in Lagos over the weekend, Adigun regretted that the sector was yet to be taken as a critical business as it is done elsewhere.

He specifically said that the industry could take a cue from the financial sector in the country, which had evolved with collaboration, consolidation and partnership.

Adigun explained that with the skyrocketing rate of the dollar against the naira, it was clear that no organisation or airline could go it alone.

He warned that without a partnership, businesses in the sector would continue to collapse.

He said: “It is not rocket science that the industry is at where it is today; the dollar is rising against the naira. We all need to know that aviation is business and when we talk about business, we talk about profitability, and data collection. How do we sustain the Nigerian aviation business? We need to have an economic summit where we open the doors to investors; we need to open up. What are these challenges facing us? This is very important. We cannot continue to stand alone.

“Secondly, are we trading among ourselves? We are not! I can have an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card from a particular bank and use it in another bank’s ATM. If I book for instance with Aero Contractors, can I use it on Air Peace? We don’t have such a close relationship. We need to collaborate among ourselves.

“Yes, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development can advocate for dry leasing and not welcome wet leasing, but the fact is are the operators doing business among ourselves? There is the need for us to look inward, collaborate, consolidate and stand together.”

On lack of adequate data gathering in the sector, Adigun wondered why this had become a herculean task to achieve despite the array of agencies in the industry.

According to him, government agencies in the sector release different data to investors, stressing that without authentic data gathering, the Nigerian aviation industry would continue to grope in the dark.

Again, he called on the respective government agencies, especially the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to emulate its counterpart in the financial sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), by spearheading the release of believable data for the industry.

He explained that this would enable investors and prospective investors to plan their businesses.

“I was very happy when someone spoke about data. You can’t do business without data. The CBN forecasts in the banking industry and it can tell you the growth or diminishing rates in the sector, but, who is doing that in the aviation industry?

“How do we get the data? And without data, you cannot do business at all. It is good for us to look inward and talk figures. Aviation is about business. What you sell is about air safety and security,” he said.

Apart from Adigun, several aviation professionals and experts also talked extensively on the theme of the conference and called for action from the government.