The NIGAV Awards which is tagged Nigeria’s most prestigious air transport development award has become the benchmark for excellence in promoting healthy competition and rewarding best practices, the event was well attended by the crème de la crème of the aviation industry amongst whom are the Captains and Heads of the Aviation Parastatals, Airlines, Ground Handling companies, reputable icons of the aviation industry.

The award was presented to Dr (Barr) Taiwo Afolabi (MON) for making immense contribution to the aviation industry through his notable investment and leadership excellence. Since Dr Afolabi through the SIFAX Group bought SAHCO from the Federal Government in 2009, with his remarkable business acumen he grew the worth of the company to triple its value before it was listed in the Nigerian Stock Market in 2019.

Due to Dr Afolabi’s enabling capacity and unique leadership skill, SAHCO’s unmotivated work force has become one of the most hardworking dedicated staff of the clime and the company that was struggling to survive has grown to be a beautiful bride that has made the Bureau of Public Enterprise to continually show it off as a model of how successfully privatized companies should be.

In the a statement issued by Adetola Vanessa Uansohia (Mrs.) Manager, Corporate Communications of Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC, saying SAHCO, courtesy of Dr Afolabi’s empowering ambience, boasts of the best ultra-modern warehouse in West Africa and stands tall as one of the best in Africa, owns fleets of state-of-the-art equipment, an engineering and maintenance team that has developed Ground support Equipment using locally sourced materials which is the first in the country and many more. SAHCO has been able to transition successfully to a Public Liability Company, witnessing an influx of new clients, expanding to all the commercially operated airports in Nigeria. All these would not have been possible if not for the leadership and support of the amiable Dr Afolabi as he sits as Chairman of the Board of Directors in SAHCO.

Dr Afolabi who is a man of many parts is also the Vice Chairman of SIFAX Group. The SIFAX Group is a conglomerate that is poised at building a sustainable, customer-centric business that optimizes stakeholder value. SIFAX Group which is a multinational corporation with diverse interests in Aviation, Maritime, Haulage and logistics, Oil and Gas, Hospitality and Financial Services also maintains offices in Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the United States.

In his welcome address at the event, Fortune Idu , the Managing Director and Chairman of NIGAV said “NIGAV is aimed at promoting All-Round aviation development and capacity building, projecting the aviation industry for investment and business development, to create a check process that has helped maintain a balance between operational efficiencies, industry, vibrancy and service delivery.

The Managing Director/CEO of SAHCO, Mr.Basil Agboarumi, who represented Dr Taiwo Afolabi at the event expressed Dr Afolabi’s gratitude for the recognition. Dr Afolabi went on to say that SAHCO is poised to partner for progress in both the development of the country and the aviation industry in particular. He emphasized that the only way to bring the expected change in the aviation industry is to see, say and do something that it is in doing that we would have the positive change we desire.