THE Minister of Aviation recently told the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that the President Goodluck Jonathan administration would 'do everything within its powers to provide Nigeria a national carrier.' During this select briefing, presumably on the proceedings of the ministry's own brainstorming, the minister explained her aspirations for a national carrier thus: 'We must have a national carrier but we need to have the appropriate framework to drive and actualise this dream...''Since this disclosure, there have been no clarifications regarding this particular ministerial aspiration. It may be safe to assume that plans are afoot from the minister and sundry advisers to provide Nigeria 'a national carrier.' It is important however for government to review why the country's national carriers before now failed. Consequent upon that, there will be need to ask whether a national carrier as an issue deserves a priority status for the country, and whether it is sufficiently important to be on the President's touted Transformation Agenda.The minister spoke of the need to have the appropriate framework to drive and actualise this dream of a national carrier. This task in fact should be the official priority at this time. Rushing to put in place a national carrier without a solid operations base for our airports and airlines is like putting the cart before the horse. Undoubtedly, such an arrangement is fraught with booby traps that will ultimately lead to a collapse of the carrier itself. From the minister's pronouncement, government priorities on national carrier will seem to be altogether obtuse and should be left alone.At the moment, the Ministry of Aviation has not dealt with the real time challenges in the aviation sector that may offer Nigerians and users of aviation services quick wins, good value-for-money schemes. Where is that nebulous time-table to effect repairs on various airports' access roads and build adequate passenger halls' Where are the reassurances regarding the recent concerns on safety of the planes and aeronautical equipment' Have we commenced conscientious and mandatory inspections of cabin and crew and inauguration of efficiency for ground passenger security' Are the airlines customer-centric paradigms working' These have been the salient interests of the aviation users, and until they are addressed, the ministry's proposal may only amount to supporting another far-flung project.Nigeria, by now, ought to have learnt bitter lessons from its experiences in the defunct national carrier - Nigerian Airways - and the better-forgotten pretext with Richard Branson's Virgin Nigeria. The Minister should note that the final liquidation report of Nigeria Airways is still being awaited, and it should make interesting reading on how not to run an airline anywhere in the world.The inability of public enterprises to grow in Nigeria is a notorious and current fact well advertised in the recent Parliamentary hearing on the privatisation programme in which one of the major highlights is the case study of the Nigeria Airways, our first national carrier. Would the Honourable Minister disprove that the attitude of public enterprise is still engaged on 'dividends of democracy' and share of the imaginary national cake' There are no proofs to show that these attitudes have changed. The question therefore lingers as to why government would itch for a national carrier when its ability and capacity are in serious doubt, coupled with the penchant to purchase refurbished aircrafts.According to Mr Branson, Nigeria's erstwhile partner in Virgin Nigeria, the inability of government to keep its own side of its contract with him was the breaking factor leading to their pull out. The regular disrespect to the sanctity of contracts is a dent on Nigeria's image and goes a long way in impacting negatively on the country's commercial credentials for foreign investors and future partnerships. Therefore, a third attempt at a national carrier may be a waste of the national resources. Policy consistency remains a necessary and sufficient condition for the achievement of the desired growth of a sector with a high turnover of ministers since inception.A credible alternative is for the government to buy equity but not controlling shareholding in a private airline and pay a fee towards flying the flag as designated national carrier. Nigeria has not proven to be an exception to theories that governments all over the world are not good business managers. We should be more concern with providing public goods and regulations, rather than the active business of buying and selling airline tickets, which are best left to the private sector.Government can leave a lasting legacy in the aviation sector by working to revamp the airports and make the airlines provide service and safety; enthrone competence in the regulatory offices and patriotism in the agencies at the airports.A gratification culture, civil service character deficit and a public system built on mediocrity amongst others will make the national carrier model fail again. Nigeria and Nigerians do not deserve this international embarrassment.
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