By Chinelo Obogo
Chairman of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, has promised to collaborate with Nigerian airlines to ensure that aviation fuel is supplied at a uniform price of N980/litre to all airports across the country.
Dangote said this while receiving a delegation of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to the headquarters of the company in Lagos recently.
During the visit, the chairman of the aviation body, Abdulmunaf Sarina, appealed to him to make it possible for domestic airlines in the country to start getting aviation fuel directly from the Dangote refinery at an affordable price.
He said: “It is a known fact that aviation is a catalyst and a pivot to drive any economy as no economy can grow without air links in today’s world, which aviation provides. AON has kept the wheels of the Nigerian economy rolling for over 20 years, thereby contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating jobs for a teeming Nigerian population.
“Air transportation is a crucial enabler of the Nigerian socio-economic landscape. It facilitates the movement of business personnel, serves as a key input into fast-growing industries such as oil and gas, telecommunications, and agriculture and allows the vital interactions necessary to sustain many modern, high technology service industries.
In spite of all this, Nigerian airlines today are facing serious problems. These include the current forex scarcity and increased cost of buying forex at over N1000 against the dollar as well as the skyrocketing cost of jet fuel at N1700 per litre that has further worsened the situation and is threatening to cripple airline operations in the country.
“To this end, we would like to use this opportunity to extend our interest in partnering with your highly esteemed organisation so that domestic airlines in the country can start getting aviation fuel directly from the Dangote refinery at an affordable price.
We join numerous well-wishers to once congratulate you on this epoch making achievement and we look forward to partnering very closely with your organization as key drivers of the aviation Industry and the Nigerian economy at large.”
Responding to the request, Dangote promised that the company would collaborate with the AON to ensure that they not only get the fuel the reduced rate of N980/L, but that he will make efforts to ensure the fuel is sold at a uniform price at the airports across the country.