FAAN, FCI clinch deal to build aviation expo centre

By Samson Echenim

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and FCI International Limited have signed an agreement on a land lease deal to build Aviation Expo Centre.

This is coming as the FCI, initiator of NIGAV award and the Nigeria aviation industry are warming up towards one of the most iconic events of the industry, the prestigious Nigeria Aviation Award and the ministerial gala on the 14th December 2019 at Oriental hotel Victoria Island.

This approval was conveyed by Clifford Imade Omozeghian, head of the Directorate of Legal Services, FAAN to Fortune Idu, managing director of FCI International, Nigeria and chairman of NIGAV on behalf of Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, managing director of FAAN.

The agreement is the setting up a permanent befitting centre for development and international trade promotion within the corridor of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport called the Nigeria Aviation (NIGAV) Conference and Exhibition Centre.

The 2500sqm centre is to project the best of Nigeria’s businesses and enterprises and stand as a centre of industry promotion excellence.

The centre which will take off early next year is planned through three development stages as envisioned by Idu. The first stage is to develop a 1000 sitter capacity hall that can hold 100 exhibition booths where all kinds of industry activities including open-to-public ceremonies can be held.

Then the second stage is to expand by building meeting rooms, cafeteria for workshop and business hub meetings and the 3rd stage will be a multistory facility with aerial hall, underground parking, meeting rooms, recreation and learning facilities.

Centres of such at the international airport axis’ are often considered as investor’s gateway and the foresight to sign this project by the Managing Director of FAAN is in line with the President Buhari’s administration’s mandate of increasing indigenous capacity in creating wealth by opening a platform within the airport corridors where the numerous indigenous produce can be showcased for export market using the air cargo services.

This also reflects on various good gestures of the administration towards the development of the aviation industry.

The industry definitely needs the centre that can project development and serve as meeting point for not just Nigeria but Africa in general.

Exhibition and conference is a uniting force and it will bring people from all over the world to Nigeria. This of course means greater air traffic flow to Nigeria and with direct impact on the aviation economy and the Nigeria economy too.