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Flying On the Wings of Nigeria
Recently I had to take a trip to the United Kingdom and was faced with the challenge of which airline to fly based on my schedule and pricing. Eventually, largely swayed by the renewed sentiment of ‘Buy Nigeria, I settle for Arik Airline, the self-professed ‘Wings of Nigeria’.
I looked forward to the flight experience even though I had once flown the airline on the same route many years ago. But at that time I was unable to critically assess it as it had just launched its UK route and in a group that distracted me severely. But on this occasion,
I was thankfully alone. My friends who believe I know everyone will have been shocked to find out that I only recognized two people in my cabin of choice.
This is in contrast to what happens on my regular airline where I often know the larger portion of the cabin, plus ground and cabin crew for good measure.
Our outward journey started late due to the fact that the flight had to be combined with that of another indigenous airline that had been cancelled for operational reasons.
Despite that, the flight was uneventful. I found the cabin space rather generous, the staff courteous and a wide choice of entertainment options both local and international.
The cuisine was not very appealing to me even though I am not a big fan of airline food. This is however not to say it cannot be significantly improved upon.
The return leg left dead on time. This time I checked in online which I was unable to do on my outward journey. Not only that, the flight landed in Lagos at 3.40 am, a forty good minutes ahead of schedule. Quite unbelievable for Arik that had gained notoriety for being abysmally late on its local flights.
This advantage was however masked by the lack of on-board entertainment and vanity kits for those in business class.
Barring these hitches, it was a good experience for me, the biggest plus being that I was able to avoid the Murtala Mohammed International Airport during the highly riotous hours of 6-10pm.
However, Arik still has a long way to go if it intends to compete with international airlines. There can be no Nigerian standards. It has to be global. While the airline has a lot to do in this area, it has even more work to do in terms of brand essence, appeal and likeability. These are seriously lacking.
Being the nearest thing to our national carrier, its brand conversation is relatively weak. The experience of United Kingdom starts once you step on a British Airways flight ditto for Virgin Atlantic and many other foreign airlines.
Beyond its tagline, Arik fails to strongly communicate Brand Nigeria in costume, imagery or otherwise. Why any of our traditional attires can’t be proudly infused into the crew’s attire? eg.
Caps adorned with aso oke which is uniquely ours. If that was the aim of the printed blouses won by the female staff, then in my opinion, it is a very weak and uninspiring one.
Another unique platform to strongly communicate Brand Nigeria is completely lost by Arik not having its own business class lounge. Rather it shares one with several other international airlines even in its own home country!
Furthermore, Arik is not doing enough reaching out to its primary target Nigerians. Beyond mere advertising, we should see more of the airline in various aspects of our national life like entertainment, sports, business, tourism, economy etc.
There are creative ways of weaving the brand into the fabric of the nation. A significant vacuum exists in its sector that can be taken advantage of as a key mover of the Nigerian economy.
Arik cannot afford to sit on the fence. It must strongly join in the conversation of nation-building as part of its reputation management strategy. Perhaps, the airline is too busy coping with core issues of operations leaving the ‘mundane’ one of brand communication to just a desk. If that is the case, then it is not the way to go in building a sustainable brand. Arik must not only make its brand more appealing, but in doing so, it must constantly think out of the box! Presently the brand lacks character beyond its functionality.
The government of the day must also line up behind our national brands like Arik. What a morale booster it will be if President Muhammadu Buhari or his deputy Professor Yemi Osinbajo leads a large Nigerian business delegation to the United Kingdom and all of them fly Arik.
This will surely send a strong message to Nigerians that we must own and support our own. Government must also encourage its staff to ‘Fly Nigeria First!’ Otherwise, the government risks the possibility of appearing insincere in its call for us all to ‘buy Nigeria’.
The government can still go further by supporting the indigenous aviation sector. Buoyed by the potential of flying 180 million people, we cannot stand by and watch foreign airlines take the lion-share of this market leaving us with miserable crumbs. Government must facilitate low interest loans and facilities that will oil the sector.
Anybody that has collected and diverted previous disbursements from the Aviation Intervention Fund must be investigated and swiftly brought to book. Such people must be dealt with as national economic saboteurs. I also counter any idea of the government launching a national carrier as history has shown that government business is not in business!
I will encourage all Nigerians especially frequent flyers, to start by committing a certain portion of their portfolio to flying indigenous airlines like Arik on their intercontinental trips.
The advantages of this as earlier enumerated are quite considerable with Nigeria being the ultimate beneficiary.
Yes I admit, there will be the initial discomfort of adjusting to new standards, but that is the only way we can build our national businesses. After all, ‘if Rome was not built in a day’, why should we expect the ‘wings of Nigeria’ to be.
Yomi Badejo-Okusanya consults in a public relations firm and writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
Telecommunications services provider, Globacom, has admonished Nigerian workers to reflect on more ways of contributing further to the growth of the country.
In a solidarity message on the occasion of the 2024 International Workers’ Day, the company noted that Nigerian workers were resilient in spite of the challenges they encounter in the course of discharging their duties.
The telecommunications giant further noted that the story of Nigeria cannot be adequately chronicled without acknowledging the immense contributions of workers, both in the public and private sectors.
The day is observed on May 1 yearly in recognition of the contributions of workers all over the world and to advance fairer and more sustainable future by advocating for workers’ rights.
“We salute Nigerian workers on this day and commend them for the hard work, commitment, resourcefulness and industry which are essential for the growth of the economy of any nation,” Globacom said.
CWG Plc has announced a significant milestone in its commitment to delivering value to shareholders. Following a thorough review of the company’s financial performance and outlook, the Board of Directors has approved a substantial increase of 400per cent in dividend payout to shareholders.
This decision reflects CWG’s confidence in its financial stability, growth trajectory, and ability to generate sustainable returns. By enhancing the dividend payout, CWG aims to reward shareholders for their continued trust and support while reaffirming its commitment to creating long-term value.
Mr. Philip Obioha, Chairman of the Board of Directors at CWG Plc, said, “The decision to approve a 400% increase in dividend payout underscores our confidence in CWG’s performance and outlook. We are dedicated to delivering value to our shareholders and believe that this significant dividend increase is a testament to our commitment to shareholder value creation.”
This increase in dividend payout aligns with CWG’s strategic objectives to prioritize shareholder interests and maintain strong financial discipline. The Board remains committed to prudent financial management and sustainable growth, ensuring that CWG continues to be a reliable investment for shareholders.
As CWG continues to execute its growth strategy and expand its presence in the market, the Board anticipates that the increased dividend payout will further strengthen investor confidence and support CWG’s vision for the future.
CommunicationsWeek Media Limited, a certified global ICT company with over two million online subscribers, is delighted and proud to announce Prof. Yakub Aliyu, as the keynote speaker at Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture series 2024.
Aliyu, will be speaking on the theme: Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated”, this leans heavily on the fact that AI changing our lives– we just need to know where to look today.
This year’s rebranded Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series is slated for Saturday, May 25, 2024 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
The event is the most prestigious annual event that brings together captains of industry in both technology and financial worlds.
According to Ken Nwogbo, CEO, Communication Week Media Ltd, organisers of the ABoICT Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series, “the choice of Prof. Yakub Aliyu is deliberate because of his exceptional career in Artificial Intelligence (AI)”.
He added that, AI is considered to have the potential to instigate a fourth industrial revolution,1 and is dramatically changing people’s patterns of interaction and economic activities.
“The traditional factors of production and physical capital and labour may no longer promote substantial economic growth. It is generally believed that AI will be one of the most important factors determining future economic growth,” he said.
A professor of microelectronics and a scholar-practitioner in artificial intelligence and deep machine learning for industrial applications and high-speed application processors. His research interests include Multimodal AI models for high-efficiency industrial robot applications and Human AI interactions.
He also has adjunct academic professorships at five African, USA, and UK universities. Holds a BS in Applied Physics Electronics from Karlsruhe and A Bello Universities in Germany and Nigeria, an MBA in International Business Management from the University of London, an MSEE (Master of Engineering, Electronics), and a Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering from the University of Wales.
Prof. Aliyu is the global quality director for Bourns Inc., Riverside, California, USA, an electronics system, and components manufacturer. I oversee quality functions in 21 factories worldwide.
He has also held quality and operational management leadership positions at National Semiconductors, Bell Labs-Lucent Technology, Texas Instrument, Global Foundries, and Roper Technologies USA.
Authored and coauthored over 30 Advanced Technology United States-issued patents in High-Speed Application Processors and Contributed to over 40 international impact Journals, chapters, and conferences; FASI, SMIEEE USA, MIEE UK, M. Inst pf Physics Chartered Phys and C Eng UK.
Past lecturers included Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Uche Orji, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodu Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited; Peter Adedayo Arogundade, managing director and chief executive officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Dr. Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Prof. Isa Pantanmi, minister of Communications and Digital Economy; Dr. Seyi Akindeind, co-founder, Digital Encode; Dr Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Director, Africa Data Centres.
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