In a bid to boost the generation of income in Nigeria’s aviation sector, the Federal Government on Thursday declared that it will implement its Aviation Revenue Automation Project to the letter. It said the project, which is aimed at automating all aviation related activities across airports in the country, would not only boost its revenue but would enhance the productivity of airports’ personnel and improve passenger service. The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, disclosed that there was no going back on the project, adding that any chief executive or director-general of any agency under the ministry who fails to comply with the implementation of the project “within 60 days will be seriously sanctioned.” Chidoka, had late last year complained that Nigeria’s aviation sector was associated with very low productivity, stressing that the industry only contributed as little as 0.4 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. He had attributed this to low level of technology that was associated with the sector, a development that led to “very low productivity and very poor return on investment.” Explaining the significance of the project, Chidoka, in a statement from the ministry, said ARAP was aimed at automating all aviation related activities in all the airports in Nigeria to provide revenue assurance for the industry. He stated that the project was “intended to increase the efficiency of Nigerians and workers in the aviation industry, and also enable the agencies in the aviation sector deliver higher quality services to Nigerians and to make for increased revenue generation as well as create credible data source for the aviation industry.” According to the minister, ARAP was structured and empowered to bring to reality the vision and mission of the aviation industry. He said, “This vision and mission is to make the industry a world class provider of safe, secured and comfortable transport that is self-sustaining and pivotal to social economic growth, and to transform the sector into an efficient, profitable and preferred mode of transportation.” Chidoka further admonished all stakeholders in the aviation sector to embrace the project and be on the same page with him so as to take the industry to the level of meeting with international best practices. The minister, according to the statement, consequently constituted an inter-agency management committee to see to the challenges, harmonisation, implementation and success of the Aviation Revenue Automation project. Source: PUNCH