Months after the Executive Order was issued by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, with the aim of supporting the ease doing business in the country, most airport users, as well as other stakeholders in the country, are yearning for stricter implementation of the order.
Even though some aviation parastatals, agencies, airlines and other stakeholders had in June initiated the implementation process of the order by putting in place machinery to ensure that the directive is a success, but most air passengers feel that there is still a lot that needs to be done to get the desired result.
Reacting to the level of compliance so far on the order, air passenger to one of the airlines on the domestic route, Alhaja Salamatu Bala said that FAAN, in particular, has done so much to comply with the order. She, however, urged other agencies to take a cue from FAAN in order to make progress.
Mrs. Bala said, “Since that order was given, there have been some efforts by some of the agencies to comply, particularly FAAN but I think there should be full compliance, so we the passengers would benefit from the good intentions of the government. I urge other government agencies to emulate FAAN in this regard because they have done so much especially within the Kano, Lagos, Abuja airports to see smooth facilitation of passengers to their various destinations”.
An international passenger who flew into the country with Lufthansa airline through the MMIA, James Bosch said, he was not familiar with the airport environment but added that the passenger handling services are okay and secure enough.
Another air passenger who was on an Aero contractor, Mr. Ucha Dunkwu From Lagos to Port Harcourt said, “Ease Doing Business in Nigeria” policy is one of the best things that could happen to the economy, particularly the aviation sector. You can see now the screening points are gradually reducing and that is good for convenience”.
Dunkwu however, expressed the need for a 100 per cent implementation so that air travel would be attractive to many Nigerian.
To another traveler, Benson Adejuwon, the “Ease Doing Business in Nigeria” should be embraced by all stakeholders, adding, “You see that policy; it is one of the good things that are coming from this government and I pray that it will come out successfully. I think the airport is getting better but those at the helms of authority should buckle up and comply optimally.”
Adejuwon said the importance of the Executive Order cannot be overemphasized, especially because it will strengthen the nation’s fight against terrorism; eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy that impedes business activities at our airports. He also added that this will improve safety, security and passenger facilitation within and around the airport.
Highlighting some of the efforts by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) made to see that the ease of doing business at all the airports, Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, at FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said that a lot of transformation exercises are ongoing at the nation’s airports to ensure, safe, quick and comfortable passengers’ services
According to her, there is already a slight change in their Domestic Operations, a step which was recently taken to ensure smooth and fast service delivery “From July 25th, 2017, FAAN had notified all air passengers that Arik Air now operates at terminal B, along with Azman, First Nation, Over Land & Medview Whilst Aero Contractors, Air Peace & Dana Air Operate At Terminal D Of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA), Abuja”. Passengers are enjoined to adhere to our directional signages for proper guidance”, Mrs. Yakubu said.
