George Uriesi, Chief Operating Officer, Ibom Air, says the inauguration of new terminal at Murtala Muhammed International Airport delights every airline and will boost the country’s aviation sector.
Uriesi said this at the Nigerian Institute of Management Chartered (NIM) Corporate Members forum in Lagos on Tuesday.
The theme of the forum is; Managing Many Permanently Moving Parts- How Possible?
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday inaugurated the new international terminal alongside some other important economically viable projects in Lagos.
According to Uriesi, the development will provide expansive economic opportunities for players in the aviation sector, including Ibom Air.
He, however, called for application of the right management theories to engender organisational success and sustainability across the aviation industry.
He said that Ibom Air was a major plank of the Akwa Ibom government’s economic strategy to diversify the state’s economy and move it from “government dependent’’ to “private sector-led’’.
Uresi said that the airline presented a higher economic case for the state government to exploit its relatively good infrastructure, security and beauty to attract tourism and investments.
He noted that application of the right management theories led to development of a visitors programme to further impact tourism and drive the economy of the state.
He, therefore, called on managers to be more proactive, smart and ready to anticipate situations that required top management capacity to address.
“The airline industry in Nigeria has operated far below international standards and best practices, leaving ample space and opportunity for a true ‘game changer’.
“The state invested heavily in constructing an airport and a world class facility.
“The airport provides easier direct access, but remains a heavy burden on the state government.
“Boosting air traffic is the best way to make the airport a viable and more impacting investment.
“This means that the state economy is transformed to service driven private enterprise, leading to quantum increase of visitors in the state,” he said.
NIM President, Retired Maj.- Gen. Abdullahi Muraina, said the event provided an avenue for the institute to directly interact with its corporate members and explore opportunities for collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
Muraina said that the forum was in tune with one of the policies of NIM present council to engage corporate members more due to their pivotal role to the institute since inception.
“As part of the NIM’s resolve to fully reintegrate corporate members into the institute’s activities, some of them are co-opted into the council of the institute.
“We hope to collaborate more with corporate members in the area of capacity building where the institute has the requisite competencies to affect the nation’s workforce for better productivity,” he said.
