The Nigerian aviation sector, regardless of being a important component within the nation’s transportation system and financial system, has not reached its full potential in comparison with different African nations.
The Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA) estimates that aviation helps $63 billion in financial exercise throughout Africa. Nevertheless, Nigeria’s aviation business contributes a modest $1.7 billion to GDP, representing 0.4% of the nationwide financial system—far behind South Africa’s aviation sector, which contributes $12 billion, or 3.5% of GDP.
With 20 airports, 23 lively home airways, and operations by 22 overseas carriers, Nigeria’s aviation sector holds immense potential. It has created over 241,000 jobs and facilitated worldwide commerce and tourism, connecting Nigeria on to main world enterprise hubs similar to London, New York, Johannesburg, Dubai, and Paris. Moreover, Nigeria’s attainment of the FAA Worldwide Aviation Security Evaluation (IASA) Class One Certification permits its carriers to fly immediately into america, a big milestone for the sector.
Passenger and plane visitors has persistently risen by a mean of 10% yearly, with Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA) in Lagos dealing with over 60% of the nation’s whole air visitors.
Inside this sector are homeowners of home airways of Nigerian descent. These people have invested non-public capital and helped to a sure extent present job alternatives and new pathways for development within the business. Check out a few of these personalities as spotlighted by Nairametrics.
Allen Ifechukwu Onyema -Founder Air Peace
Allen Ifechukwu Onyema, a Nigerian lawyer and entrepreneur, based Air Peace in 2013 to create financial alternatives for Nigerian youth. His imaginative and prescient was to construct a thriving airline that will serve each home and worldwide markets, and over time, Air Peace has grown into one of many nation’s most distinguished carriers.
The airline’s fleet has expanded considerably, now together with Boeing 737s, Boeing 777s, Dornier 328s, Embraer 145s, Embraer 195-E2s, and Airbus 320s. This various vary of plane has supported Air Peace’s rising community, which now contains routes to worldwide locations similar to Accra, Ghana, Sharjah, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Onyema’s dedication to increasing the airline’s attain has positioned Air Peace as a key participant in West African aviation, providing reasonably priced air journey choices whereas creating jobs and boosting the native financial system.
Jacky Hathiramani- Founder Dana Air
Jacky Hathiramani, the pioneer Managing Director/CEO of Dana Airways and now the Group Managing Director/CEO of Dana Group of Firms, is a Nigerian born in Jos, Plateau state. He holds a level in Enterprise Administration from the European Enterprise School of London and sits on the board of a number of blue-chip firms and PLCs.
Jacky began his profession within the manufacturing business, the place he was appointed as an Govt Director of Ashmina Restricted in 1998. He led main enterprise transformation within the firm, which led to his appointment as Group Managing Director.
He has been chargeable for the strategic growth and enlargement of the Group, which has advanced right into a multi-billion greenback conglomerate with pursuits in key sectors of the Nigerian financial system, together with transportation, metal, and aviation. Jacky’s drive and keenness for high quality service led to the institution of Dana Air in 2006.
The introduction of the airline and its redefining function within the aviation business, providing world-class customer and in-flight service, with an on-time efficiency that’s nonetheless unequalled, earned Jacky a number of CEO of the 12 months awards.
Jacky’s superior enterprise efficiency and improvements have enabled the corporate to realize commendable market share and recognition as one among Nigeria’s Most Revered Firms.
Kunle Soname- Founder Worth Jet
Kunle Soname is a Nigerian entrepreneur, sports activities fanatic, and the chairman of Bet9ja, a number one betting platform he based in 2013. He made historical past in 2015 as the primary Nigerian to accumulate a European soccer membership, C.D. Feirense.
Soname studied Property Administration at Obafemi Awolowo University, graduating in 1988, and later served because the Govt Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Native Council till 2011. His ardour for sports activities led him to determine Remo Stars Soccer Membership in 2004, which was relocated from Lagos to Ogun State and now competes within the Nigerian Premier League.
Along with his ventures in sports activities and betting, Soname is the founding father of ValueJet, a non-public Nigerian airline established in 2018. ValueJet, which started operations in 2022, offers home flights to key Nigerian cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yola.
The airline goals to supply protected, dependable, and reasonably priced air journey, with a fleet of Bombardier CRJ900 Jets. Soname’s contributions lengthen past enterprise as he was inducted as a patron on the University of Lagos in 2022, in recognition of his philanthropic actions. His achievements in enterprise, sports activities, and group service proceed to make him a distinguished determine in Nigeria.
Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal- Founder Max Air
Dahiru Mangal is a distinguished Nigerian entrepreneur and the founding father of Max Air, one of many nation’s main airways. Established in 2006 as Mangal Airways, it rebranded in 2008 as Max Air and started its first industrial flight to King Abdulaziz Worldwide Airport from Kano.
The airline, which began with two Boeing 747-400 plane and three locations, has since expanded to function a number of home, regional, and worldwide routes. Mangal serves because the Chairman and CEO of Max Air Restricted and leads AFDIN Group (Nigeria) Restricted, a conglomerate with pursuits in development, oil, and different sectors, together with AFDIN Development, Mangal Oil, and Manasawa Enterprises.
Mangal’s contributions lengthen past enterprise, with important philanthropic efforts aimed toward supporting college students, people with disabilities, and displaced individuals affected by battle. In 2021, his firm, Mangal Industries, signed an settlement with Sinoma, a Chinese language agency, to construct a cement plant and an influence plant in Kogi State, a $600 million challenge anticipated to be accomplished by 2024. Max Air continues to develop, including new home routes and introducing progressive providers similar to an in-flight journal, making it a key participant in Nigeria’s aviation business.
Captain Edward Boyo- Founder Overland Airways
Captain Edward Boyo, the founder and CEO of Overland Airways, has been a key determine in Nigeria’s aviation sector for greater than twenty years. Along with main Overland Airways, Boyo is the founder and managing director of Landover Firm Restricted, a distinguished aviation providers supplier in Africa.
Overland Airways, established in 2002, was conceived with the mission of connecting Nigeria’s distant areas to main city hubs, providing dependable air journey for each enterprise and leisure passengers.
The airline operates a fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprops, together with Beechcraft 1900Ds, offering providers to a community of home routes together with Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Ilorin, Akure, Dutse, Minna, Bauchi, Asaba, and Jalingo. Overland Airways has gained a robust status for its punctuality and its dedication to bridging the hole between underserved regional markets and Nigeria’s bigger industrial facilities.
Boyo’s management extends past Overland Airways, as he has made important contributions to the event of the African aviation business. He’s additionally the founder and writer of Aviation & Allied Enterprise Africa Journal and has performed a key function in coaching the following era of aviation professionals by way of Landover Aviation Enterprise School. His efforts have cemented him as a pivotal determine within the development of aviation throughout the continent.
Babawande Afolabi- Founding father of Inexperienced Africa Airways
Babawande Afolabi, a Nigerian entrepreneur and founding father of Inexperienced Africa Airways, has at all times had a deep ardour for transportation.
Rising up in Ile-Ife, Osun State, his fascination with the sector was ignited additional throughout his time as an Funding Banker at Morgan Stanley in 2011/2012, the place he gained publicity to the transportation business.
This expertise impressed him to pursue his dream of making a Pan-African worth airline primarily based in Nigeria, aiming to make air journey reasonably priced for everybody, together with his academics in Ile-Ife.
Babawande gained his MBA at Stanford GSB. With steering from skilled mentors, he launched Inexperienced Africa Airways in 2015, elevating preliminary funding by way of pals, former colleagues, and classmates. In 2017, Kuramo Capital made the primary main institutional funding, adopted by a Collection A funding spherical in 2018-2019.
Inexperienced Africa positioned an order for 100 Boeing 737 Max plane in 2018, however it was canceled as a result of security considerations. In 2020, the airline switched to Airbus A220-300s, with supply deferred as a result of pandemic. Inexperienced Africa commenced operations in 2021 with leased ATR 72-600s, positioning itself as a serious participant within the Nigerian airline business.
Prof Obiora Okonkwo-Founder United Airways Nigeria
Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, a famend educational and entrepreneur, was awarded the celebrated Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari. He holds a Physician of Philosophy in Political Science from the Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, and has earned a number of levels with distinction, together with a Grasp of Science in Economics and a First Class in Economics and Administration from the Russian Peoples Friendship College.
Prof. Okonkwo’s profession started in Onitsha, Anambra State, the place he mixed his schooling with buying and selling alongside his father on the Onitsha Primary Market. Through the years, he has turn out to be a distinguished thought chief, delivering lectures on key points similar to entrepreneurship, management, and the media’s function in democracy. His main publications give attention to Nigerian growth, together with his broadly referenced works on civil society and nationwide growth.
In 2020, Prof. Okonkwo based United Nigeria Airways, a completely Nigerian-owned industrial airline. The airline, integrated below the Firms and Allied Issues Act of 1990, provides air transportation providers and has rapidly established itself within the Nigerian aviation sector. Prof. Okonkwo serves as the pinnacle of the airline, additional showcasing his dedication to contributing to Nigeria’s development.
A revered recipient of a number of awards, together with The Solar Entrepreneur of the 12 months Award (2020) and Rotary Worldwide Youth Management Icon Award (2019), Okonkwo can also be a Knight of the Order of King Leopold, the best honor for overseas nationals from Belgium. Via his entrepreneurial ventures and public service, Prof. Okonkwo continues to contribute considerably to Nigeria’s growth and past.
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