Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, announced a strategy to establish Maintenance Repair Overhaul, MRO facilities at Nigeria’s international airports. He also expressed support for the MRO facility nearing completion in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
Keyamo emphasized the need for multiple MRO facilities aims at least one in all Nigeria’s international airports to cater to the nation, sub-region and continent. He highlighted the importance of these facilities in reducing airlines’ operational costs and curtailing capital flight.
“We are not going to depend on one facility; it will not take the planes in West, Central and South Africa. Nigeria is aiming to have at least one MRO in all our five international airports. We can even have up to two, depending on the space we get in these international airports.
“MRO is one of the reasons for the survivability of local airlines because each time they go for normal routine checks, they spend so much. This will aid in stemming capital flight and reduce the dependency of the dollar.”
Regarding the Uyo facility, Keyamo praised Akwa Ibom’s efforts, citing it as a model for subnational development. He acknowledged the state’s commitment to creating a regional aviation hub.
“The more, the better. We are supporting that MRO in Akwa Ibom. I went there, it is a fantastic facility. Akwa Ibom has shown the world that a subnational can do as much as the private sector.
“Akwa Ibom has had successive insightful governments who have been focused and the current governor is following that trajectory. They are even building a proper hub for subregional operations there.”
The Ibom MRO is massive and can take two Boeing 747-800 standing side by side with the doors closed. In the same vein, it can take eight of our aircraft type, Airbus A220 at once and 10 of our other aircraft type, CRJ900.
MRO facilities at Nigeria’s international airports and anywhere else in the country will provide volume and open inroads for capacity building for maintenance engineers.
