Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged the Federal Government to prioritise upgrading and maintaining Nigeria’s airport facilities to boost the country’s position in the global aviation sector.
She gave the advice on Wednesday, April 1, at the Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit in Lagos.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, for Nigeria to move up the global value chain, modern airport infrastructure “is not optional but a prerequisite.”
She said, “Invest in the aviation eco-system to match and compete with the global aviation sector.
“This means acquisition of new aircraft and investment in airport infrastructure, which should be complemented by a strong maintenance culture.”
Okonjo-Iweala recommended that the government leverage private sector partnerships to reduce fiscal burdens.
“The good news is that the burden need not be borne by government alone. This calls for public-government partnerships. Private financing needs to be mobilised for modernisation of airport infrastructure,” she said.
She also called for a review of rising fuel prices, taxes, and airport charges, which she warned could increase operating costs for airlines.
“The full costs need to be reexamined – fuel costs, airport taxes, levies and charges. An enabling business environment is needed to boost investors’ confidence,” she added.
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Okonjo-Iweala explained, “The model is straightforward – government provides the enabling framework, regulatory certainty, and long-term concession structures that give the private sector the confidence to commit.
“The private sector brings capital, operational expertise, and the discipline of commercial incentives. Once these structures are set, there is no reason it will not bring commercial growth as experienced in other parts of the world.”
She further called on the government to maintain a competitive tax regime, liberalise markets, and work with neighbouring countries to remove bilateral restrictions limiting African airlines’ operations.
“Most importantly, government must see the aviation sector as a strategic economic enabler rather than a revenue source that needs to be extracted,” she said.
While acknowledging improvements in Nigeria’s safety records over the last 20 years, Okonjo-Iweala stressed that airlines must continue to expand and modernise their fleets.
“The Nigerian air transportation has grown in recent years with the acquisition of private airlines, along with new airports and related infrastructure.
“The safety records have also improved, but there is still a far distance to cover. Existing airlines need to upgrade and increase their air fleets,” she added.
Okonjo-Iweala concluded that addressing these structural constraints and investing in both infrastructure and fleet expansion will allow Nigeria’s aviation sector to contribute more significantly to the national economy.