The Federal Government says the Federal Ministry of Aviation has been renamed as the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace of Nigeria.
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, made the announcement in Abuja, moments after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sirika explained that the alteration became expedient because it is on the exclusive list. He maintained that the future of aviation had experienced an advancement such that aviation and aerospace were intertwined and Nigeria had the need to proactively set its policies to align with future occurrences.
The minister linked the development to the establishment of the African Aerospace and Aviation University in Abuja. According to him, the council also approved the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.
Sirika also disclosed that the Abuja airport would be concessioned for 20 years, while that of Kano would be concessioned for 30 years. In a related development, FEC gave approval for the resumption of on-street parking also known as Park and Pay in the nation’s capital.