By Chinelo Obogo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, will attend the launch of a book titled “100 Years of Civil Aviation in Nigeria: History, Issues and Prospects” taking place in Lagos today.
The author of the book, Mr. Wole Shadare, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.
According to him, other personalities who will join the minister at the event include the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku; Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Umar Farouk; former Director-General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren; Chairman of Resort Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN); former President of Aviation Safety Round Table (ART), Dr. Gabriel Olowo and former Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Mr. Debo Adesina, among others.
Shadare described the 25-chapter book as a “compendium of facts and figures on the aviation journey” that will help scholars and researchers who desire to know how aviation has evolved over the past 100 years in Nigeria.
Demuren, who wrote the foreword, said the book contains valuable information on the industry that aviation professionals, airline operators, service providers, practitioners, decision makers, students, and researchers would find most useful.
According to the former NCAA Director General, “The story of Nigeria’s aviation industry has been put in the correct perspective by the author, using his rich and varied experience and uninhibited access to relevant source materials from historical and contemporary areas of Nigeria’s aviation history. The book does not only deal with history but also takes a passionate look at contemporary issues in Nigeria regarding regulation of the aviation industry and management of agencies, the contentious bilateral air services agreements Nigeria has signed with other countries, local and international aero-politics, as well as the controversial politics of a national carrier.”
Shadare added that the book is the first major updated work that gives an account of the aviation industry from 1925 to 2025. He disclosed that the book will be reviewed by Prof. Anthony Kila, a director at the Commonwealth Institute for Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Lagos.
The Chairman of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), will chair the book launch. Shadare also said the event will feature the maiden edition of the Aviation Metric Colloquium, which will be an annual event bringing together decision makers to proffer solutions to many issues affecting the aviation industry. The first edition, which will be held under the theme “Issues in the growth and development of aviation in Nigeria: A critical perspective,” is expected to critique happenings in the aviation industry and explore how to tackle the many problems plaguing it.
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