Chinedu Eze
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the FCI International Limited have signed an agreement to build a centre for development and international trade promotion within the corridor of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The centre would be known as Nigeria Aviation (NIGAV) Conference and Exhibition Centre.
This followed the approval granted by the Managing Director of FAAN, Capt. Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, on a land lease agreement between the agency and FCI.
The agreement was signed by FAAN’s Head of the Directorate of Legal Services and Secretary/Legal adviser, Clifford Imade Omozeghian and the Managing Director of FCI International, Frotune Idu.
Idu, in a statement, said the 2500sqm centre is to project the best of Nigeria’s businesses and enterprises and stand as a centre of industry promotion of excellence.
He said the centre, which would take off early next year was planned through three development stages.
“The first stage is to develop a 1000 sitter capacity hall that can hold 100 exhibition booths where all kinds of industry activities including open-to-public ceremonies can be held.
“Then the second stage is to expand by building meeting rooms, cafeteria for workshop and business hub meetings and the third stage will be a multistory facility with aerial hall, underground parking, meeting rooms, recreation and learning facilities.
“Centres of such at the international airport axis’s are often considered as investor’s gateway and the foresight to sign this project by the Managing Director of FAAN is in line with the President Buhari’s administration’s mandate of increasing indigenous capacity in creating wealth by opening a platform within the airport corridors where the numerous indigenous produce can be showcased for export market using the air cargo services.
“This also reflects on various good gestures of the administration towards the development of the aviation industry,” Idu said.
He stressed that the industry definitely needs the centre that would project development and serve as meeting point for not just Nigeria, but Africa in general.
“Exhibition and conference is a uniting force and it will bring people from all over the world to Nigeria. This of course means greater air traffic flow to Nigeria and with direct impact on the aviation economy and the Nigeria economy too.
“The NIGAV centre is a win-win for the air transport industry and Nigeria. It is planned to start hosting events from February 2020, such as the Airport Business Summit and Expo, OPITeX for the oil and gas pipeline expo, NIMPORT, Agro Air Logistics Conference, WedExpo and hopefully the next Nigeria award will be held at the centre in 2020,” Idu, the organiser of the Nigeria Aviation Awards take place.
