A public affairs analyst and aviation stakeholder, Mr Ayo Gbeleyi, on Thursday advised the Federal Government to give priority attention to the aviation sector in its annual budgets.
Gbeleyi, the Chief Executive Officer of Agil Group (a travel agency), gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to him, aviation sector is capital intensive.
He said that safety standards in the sector could not be compromised, adding that the sector needed innovations and investments.
“Globally, aviation is the first point of entry, whatever visitors see at the airport will portray what they will see in the country.
“This is the time to call on the Federal Government to critically look into the aviation sector,” he said.
He applauded President Bola Tinubu for efforts so far to develop the sector but said that much more needed to be done.
He also praised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus KeyamoSAN) for hard work.
‘‘Aviation is very delicate, aviation involves lives,” he said.
NAN reports that Keyamo had, on Jan. 22, presented the ministry’s 2025 budget of N71,123,368,069 to the National Assembly Committee on Aviation and Aviation Technology.
The budget comprises capital expenditure of N69,220,036,250; personnel cost, N1,157,589,143, and verhead cost, N745,742,676. (NAN)