Attivor Urges Corporate Bodies To Support African Air Expo 2014

Mrs. Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, has appealed to players in the corporate sector, to support the organisation of the first ever African Air Expo, set to be hosted by Ghana in October this year.

She said although the event was under the patronage of President John Dramani Mahama and under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport, the estimated three -million-dollar event would be funded by private stakeholders.

She stressed that of the amount, two million dollars would be raised by the international centre for excellence (ICE) of Abu Dhabi, with whom Ghana was collaborating to host the event, while Ghana raised one million dollars through sponsorships from corporate Ghana.

Mrs. Attivor made the appeal at the launch of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the African Air Expo in Accra on Wednesday.

She noted that in line with the ministry’s objective to establish Ghana as a transport hub of West Africa, it was important to organize events such as the Air Expo, to showcase the different opportunities in the aviation industry in Ghana and the African continent.

“This show would provide a fruitful forum from which stakeholders can interact, especially with prospective investors in the achievement of government policy of public private partnership in the development of our aviation infrastructure and services,” she stated.

The Minister added that the expo would bring a lot of investment opportunities to Ghana’s aviation sector, thus creating jobs for the youth in the country.

“The objective of this event is to create the awareness within Africa and the global aviation that investment in Ghana in whatever form will be of great benefit to both Ghana as well as the investors.”

She said the LOC had been formed to ensure adequate preparations ahead of the event in October.

The committee would collaborate with ICE, which has been in the domain of aviation human capital development in the Middle East for over five years, and 4M Events, organisers and host of the Cannes Air Show held annually in France.

The LOC consists of members drawn from various agencies including representatives from the Office of the President, the Ministries of Transport and Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Revenue Authority, National Security, State Protocol, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Ghana News Agency, International Bilateral Trade Council and the private sector.

“The task ahead of us is enormous yet the resources are limited. I therefore all members of the LOC to come up with pragmatic and innovative ideas to ensure that the event is not only successful but an event to be remembered in the annals of the aviation industry,” the minister tasked them.