The International Air Transport Association
(IATA) has scored Nigerian low for the deficient facilities and other poor
operation systems obtainable at the nation’s airports.
Another aspect of the country’s airport
infrastructures that were poorly rated by IATA was the obsolete fuel
transportation infrastructure.
IATA specifically indicated that Nigeria was still
operating a road haulage system of fuel supply to aircraft at the airports when
underground fuel hydrants could be deployed, as being practiced by most other
airports around the world.
The agency lamented that the situation is
occurring in the country’s airports at a time when Africa is poised for rapid
development and great changes, with Nigeria projected to be part of the top 20
fastest growing economies over the next five years.
It emphasised the need for Nigeria to ensure fuel
reliability is critical to Lagos as a hub for connectivity across South-West
Africa.
IATA’s Director-General, Tony Tyler Wednesday
stated while speaking at the Aviation Day Africa, held in Lagos, that one piece
of physical infrastructure that was in desperate need of attention was fuel
transportation facility.
He however stressed the need for Nigeria to find
a sustainable long term solution to this “long standing problem”.
“I know that there are many and complex-securing
a few kilometers of pipelines is not an impossible task. We are working with
the oil industry to find a solution and we will be seeking the government’s
political will to help us make it happen”, Tyler said.
“Trucking fuel through dense traffic for storage
on site”, according to him, “is inefficient and costly, and making unscheduled
technical stops to top up fuel causes schedule disruption and inconveniences
for passengers on top of the direct cost of technical stops”.
Aside from the physical infrastructure, the IATA
chief reiterated that, there are other infrastructure deficient issues, which
he said, must be addressed as they concern charges.
Particularly, Tyler decried the exorbitant
airport charges, noting that such an appalling airports’ facilities in Africa
does not warrant the high cost of taxes levied on passengers by airport
authorities.
he Lagos State Government has said it would
inaugurate its two proposed Independent Power Plants in October, which has been
identified by the state as ‘Energy Conservation Month’.
The state’s Commissioner for Energy and Mineral
Resources, Mr. Taofiq Tijani, on Wednesday said at a media briefing in Lagos,
that the two IPPs to be inaugurated are the newly built 10.4 Mega Watts plant
at Alausa, Ikeja and the Island Power Expansion Project on Lagos Island.
According to him, Lagos State Government has been
relentless and well-focussed in the pursuit of a proactive energy development
plan in the country.
He reiterated that the state had, in the past
three years, built and operated the Akute 12.15 MW IPP, which runs on Natural
Gas and supplies power to Akute intake facility of Lagos Water Corporation.
He said the state had inaugurated the 10MW Island
IPP, which supplies electricity to the General Hospital, Lagos and Lagos Island
Maternity Hospital and court complexes, among other LASG facilities.
Tijani described the move by the state as among
other things aimed at inculcating the attitude of judicious use of energy in
the residents of the state.
“During this dedicated one-month period, the
State Government through its Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the
implementing agency Lagos State Electricity Board has developed an Energy
Conservation Campaign.
“The Conserve Energy, Save Money” campaign will
use behaviour change communication materials that carry step by step, do it
yourself instructions on energy efficiency and conservation improvements to
save Lagosians money and make our city more energy efficient”, the Commissioner
said.
Tijani said that, as a prelude to the Energy
Conservation Month, Governor Babatunde Fashola and musician M.I would engage
the youth on Google Hangout to enlighten them on responsible ways to use
energy.
He also said that energy conservation activations
would be available at the E-Center, Yaba and a couple of other locations on
Lagos Island where residents of the state would have the opportunity to learn
how they could calculate their energy consumption on the spot.
As part of efforts of the state to further
encourage more residents to embrace the use of LPG as a safer, cost effective,
health and environment-friendly alternative to kerosene stove, firewood and
charcoal, the commissioner further disclosed that sensitisation awareness for
the Liquefied Petroleum Gas initiative would also be carried out in Ikorodu.
No comments:
Post a Comment