The Aviation Hub of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has called for stronger collaboration among airlines, diversification into cargo services, and the establishment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centres in Nigeria to unlock new growth opportunities for the aviation sector.
The Hub, at the 3rd Annual Aviation Public Relations Conference, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, themed “Synergising for Growth: The Role of Public Relations in Advancing Nigeria’s Aviation Hub Agenda”, noted that this approach will reposition the country’s aviation sector.
The four-day conference took place at Golden Tulip Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from September 23 to 26, 2025.
Declaring the event open, NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, represented by Rivers State Chapter Chairman, Francis Asuk stressed the importance of strategic communication in driving national development.
Other speakers, including aviation and PR experts such as Mr. Basil Agboarumi, Professor Rotimi Oladele, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, and Dr. Ofon Udofia shared insights on crisis communication, reputation management, aviation leasing, and the economic potential of cargo operations.
Delegates at the conference called on airline operators to forge stronger alliances on passenger lift agreements to improve service reliability and customer experience.
They also noted that the aviation sector should expand cargo services as a strategic driver of economic growth while regulators promote use of formal complaints and redress systems to discourage unsafe practices.
The delegates stressed on the need for Nigeria to urgently establish functional MRO facilities to reduce operational costs for airlines and bring down ticket prices for travellers.
They expressed appreciation to the NIPR leadership for the initiative and commitment to sectoral development of Nigeria.
