Experts To Dissect Economic Impacts Of Sunset Airports In Nigeria

The Centre Director at the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Prof. Anthony Kila and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air, Mr George Uriesi, are among the dignitaries that would participate at the 26th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC).

The conference with the theme: ‘Sunset Airports: Economic & Safety Implications’, is scheduled to hold on July 28, 2022, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

A statement by Mr Chinedu Eze, Conference Committee Chairman, said that two major papers, which focuses on passengers and airlines experiences at the nation’s airports, would be presented at the event that is set to point the way forward for the Nigerian aviation industry, especially on the full utilising of aerodromes.

Kila would present the first paper with the topic: ‘Passenger Experience in Daylight Airports, while Uriesi would present the second paper with the topic: ‘Maximising Runways Utilisation.’

Kila is a Jean Monnet professor of Strategy and Development. He is a provost at the Washington Institute of Strategic and Developmental Studies and also a Director of the Cambridge African Roundtable and the CIAPS.

He is also an international director of studies at the the Enterprise Coordination & Approval Processing System (ECAPS) in Cambridge and a regular analyst and commentator on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Kila is also an essayist, whose columns and essays are published in various news outlets nationally and internationally.

The professor studied in Cambridge, London, Perugia and Suffolk. He graduated with first class degree and later specialised as a scholar of political anthropology.

A Vice Chancellor and Heritage Prize winner, he has taught in a variety of colleges and universities in Cambridge, Ipswich, Lecce, London, Perugia and Siena.

He worked as a banker in the City of London and later as a project and management consultant.

He is an expert of internationalisation and joint ventures and he has worked on various international projects across the globe.

Anthony currently sits on a variety of boards and works with companies in various sectors including aviation, agriculture, finance, construction, healthcare, ICT, media, public affairs and security.

Besides, Uriesi’s 31 years career includes more than 27 years in aviation, beginning at ADC Airlines in Nigeria and proceeding to South Africa, where he spent a few years in FMCG as Logistics Manager at Procter & Gamble South Africa.

He returned to aviation, joining the newly corporatised South African Civil Aviation Authority, where he became General Manager for Aviation Safety and then on to the Airports Company of South Africa, where he was appointed as the General Manager of Cape Town International Airport, which he completely rebuilt for the World Cup in 2010.

Later, he was appointed Managing Director of the Federal airports Authority of Nigeria in 2011 for a brief period.