NIGERIA: USG LED CIVIL AVIATION PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002313 SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO USTR- AGAMA; USTDA - FITTS/MARIN; EXIM - JRICHTER; AND USAID AFR/SD FOR MICHAEL CURTIS DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA MEL CINTRON E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON EAID ASEC ERTD PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: USG LED CIVIL AVIATION PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP MOVES SECTOR FORWARD REF: ABUJA 2207 ¶1. Summary. The U.S. Mission led a public private partnership (PPP) aviation workshop on November 17-18 with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Boeing Company to catapult Nigeria one step closer to attaining U.S. Federal Aviation Authority Category 1 status. The workshop rallied industry stakeholders and put them to work to create a first draft industry needs assessment in the eight critical areas necessary to attain Category 1 status. This first ever stakeholders session on the Nigerian aviation sector will lead to better coordination, improved safety and security and possibly Category 1 status in the future. End Summary. ¶2. In an effort to assist Nigeria in attaining its Category 1 status from the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA),the Ambassador led a workshop of all aviation stakeholders that took place on November 17-18, 2008. The public private partnership (PPP) included the USG, NCAA and the Boeing Company; and sponsor support from- Arik Air, Chanchangi Airlines, Union Bank, United Bank For Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, and Aerocontractors Airline. It was hailed as the first ever industry stakeholder meeting on Nigerian Aviation Sector. ¶3. Over 200 industry reps attend the workshop. In her opening remarks, the Ambassador told the audience that it is not just the Nigerian government (GON) that is responsible for attaining Category 1, but it takes all the operators, service providers, and other industry stakeholders to participate and work together. ¶4. The event was centered on four concurrent workshops over two days. The workshop sessions had presentations from industry reps, briefings on the status of the industry, and suggestions on how to overcome obstacles. The four workshop titles were Safety and Security with concentration on Regulatory Oversight; Aviation Infrastructure; Aviation Environment with concentration on the Challenges of the Nigerian Operators; and Manpower Requirements/Human Capacity. Each workshop examined the eight key areas necessary to attain Category 1 status: -- Legislation; -- Regulation; -- Civil air authority structure and oversight functions; -- Technical guidance; -- Qualified technical personnel; -- Licensing and certification; -- Continued surveillance obligations; -- Resolution of safety issues. NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED BY EACH OF THE WORKSHOPS -------------- -------------- ¶5. All four workshops identified needs, and requirements, and some attempted to develop action plans toward resolutions. NCCA Director Harold Demuren told EconOff that he will ask the USG to assist NCAA with continuing committee workshops to be held in both Abuja and Lagos in order to operationalize industry cooperation. ¶6. In the safety and security workshop participants agreed on the following top seven areas to focus on: -- Shortage of skilled manpower across the aviation sector. -- Encourage open and voluntary reporting and sharing of safety information. --Improved implementation of safety management systems. -- Search and Rescue. -- Improving inaccurate meteorological forecast data. -- Improving poor communications, especially from airport to airport. --Bird strike. ¶7. In the aviation infrastructure workshop participants agreed on the following top seven areas to focus on: -- Legislation to encourage public private partnerships. -- Greater commitment from the GON to follow agreements. -- The GON should complete an economic, financial, and social airports reappraisal within the framework of a comprehensive master plan. -- Develop and implement a privatization policy for all airports. -- Regular routine maintenance and replacement budgets need to be developed and funded. -- Maintenance should be part of the terms and conditions of all PPP agreements. -- Implementing internationally recognized maintenance standards. ¶8. In the manpower /human capacity workshop participants agreed on the following top seven areas to focus on: -- Federal and State governments must encourage setting up ABUJA 00002313 002 OF 002 comprehensive scholarship schemes. -- Introduce apprentice programs in the aviation industry. -- Encourage training of women in the sector. -- Sensitize the aviation industry on the utilization of the Education Trust Fund (ETF). -- The Minister of Aviation should lead the development of mechanisms and methodology to enable access to the ETF through partnership banks, airlines, and other agencies. -- Request USG assistance in human capacity development in the aviation sector. -- More attention and better recruiting for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria. ¶9. In the environment-operator challenges workshop participants agreed on the following top seven areas to focus on. -- Navigational charges for domestic operations. -- Excessive wildlife and foreign object damage (FOD) incidents placing extra costs on airlines. (NOTE: Foreign object damage or foreign object debris is a substance, debris or article alien to the vehicle or system which would potentially cause damage. END NOTE) -- Airport and sundry taxes should be reduced. -- Import duties and value added taxes (VAT) too high. -- Low level of consumer protection. -- Market preservation/protection for Nigerian airline operator certificate holders (AOC) is a necessity. -- Unlimited tenure for foreign registered aircraft domiciled in Nigeria. ¶10. COMMENT. Despite last minute wavering by the GON, the workshop was enthusiastically supported by all participants. All of the relevant stakeholders were involved in the planning and will be prominently featured in the "way forward." Next steps have been outlined and there is a real opportunity to move the sector forward by increasing safety, security and establishing Category 1 status. END COMMENT. ¶11. This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. SANDERS