[ad_1]
By Dickson Omobola
Anita Mendiratta is Special Adviser to the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili.
In this exclusive interview, Mendiratta discusses the possibilities and impossibilities surrounding the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between Federal Government and aircraft manufacturer, Boeing.
Background:
I have not seen the specific paperwork itself, but the principles are clear, and this is a formal partnership. Yes, it is an MoU, but it will be supported by very clear work plans and measurable metrics put in place by Boeing. This is not the first time that Boeing has done this. It has done this with, for instance, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. So, they have a model on how they develop ecosystems for aviation to uplift countries and regions. Boeing will be applying that same model with very specific deliverables in terms of performance to ensure that the ecosystem is optimised through airlines, airports, air traffic control, the whole ecosystem. Once again, I have not seen the actual documentation. That is obviously something held in confidence between Nigerian government and Boeing, and they need to, as mentioned, put in place a very solid work plan that gives Boeing confidence that this MoU is important because it is an agreement in principle. Based on that, it is really about partners having agreement of shared vision, shared values and shared determination to make the partnership work. You can put a contract in place, but if you don’t have those principles in place and those values in place, it will never come to life fully in terms of its potential.
Relevance
I think the MoU is so important for not only aviation in Nigeria but also aviation in Africa, both from the point of view of travel and from the point of view of trade. It is a statement of absolute seriousness of intent of Nigeria in terms of its ability to utilise aviation as a vital pillar to build the economy and society of the country and of the region. Nigeria being a hub unlocks the opportunity for Africa itself. Boeing is a name that people trust. As much as Boeing is facing many challenges, it has many strengths and it knows Africa. 70 per cent of the aircraft that fly in Africa is Boeing. Boeing has been on the continent for decades, so it understands how Africa works. For it to put its name alongside Nigeria is an endorsement of the opportunity that exists in Nigeria to be able to build Nigeria and the continent through aviation. It is very much an expression of Boeing’s commitment to helping in that process. There is the statement of intent and the best of intentions behind the MoU.
The post What I see in that MoU with Boeing – Mendiratta appeared first on Vanguard News.
[ad_2]
Source link
