The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr. Festus Keyamo, Monday said the aviation sector, through Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is ready to collaborate with the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to address the impacts of climate change in Nigeria.
The Minister noted this in Abuja at the 2nd consultative meeting on the Development and Deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF) and other cleaner fuels in Nigeria.
According to him, the collaboration is the only way to facilitate the development and deployment of aviation cleaner energies in Nigeria .
The minister who was represented by the the Acting Director General, Civil Aviation, Captain. Chris Najomo, said the collaboration will also ensure that the country is not left behind in aviation environmental protection initiatives.
He said the meeting was borne out of the desire for Nigeria to develop a clear roadmap and set targets for the use of cleaner energy in aviation sector.
“This step is not only laudable, but necessary for our airlines to be able to have competitive operating advantage not just in our sub-region, but in the continent,” he said.
Najomo in an interview with journalists, said they are collaborating for the first time together with the NCCC using Implementation Status Report (ISR) as a stepping stone to help us in this flight.
“We are meeting and once we identify what stocks we use, we will take it from there. The fuel might be alot cheaper, but the most important thing is to be a cleaner fuel. That is one of the most important thing, to be cleaner and, of course, sustainable,” he said .
The Director, Consumer Protection and Public Affairs of NCAA, Michael Achimugu said the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development is committed to success and driving the ambition of Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the field of Aviation where everything is guided by regulation and there is no better person to lead that drive than the Minister.
He said the Minister is committed to the growth of the industry and the agencies under the leadership of NCAA who regulates the industry.
He said Captain. Najomo came into the industry and made the ease of doing business without compromising standards and safety the mantra for his action plan adding that so far, the fruits of that mantra is causing the change in the industry.
Also, the Director General/CEO of the National Council on Climate Change NCCC, Dr.Nkiruka Maduekwe said the meeting is the second one, and of course there are more to come, because the government is indicating that, and is showing that Nigeria wants to decarbonise our aviation sector.
She said “that’s why there is a conversation on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and Low Carbon Aviation Fuel, and other cleaner fuels as well.
“The transport is one of the highest emitters of carbon emissions, should we get it right in our aviation sector, we are going to get it right in our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and that is the active step the government is taking, ” she said.