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The Federal Ministry of Aviation was one of the Federal Ministries of Nigeria that regulates air travel and aviation services in Nigeria. The Ministry was among many Ministries merged by President Muhamadu Buhari as part of his campaign promises to cut down the cost of running the government. the Ministry is now part of the Transportation Ministry of Nigeria which is headed by Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and The Minister of State Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika
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Organisation
The ministry is responsible for formulation and management of the government's aviation policies in Nigeria.
It is directly responsible for overseeing air transportation, airport development and maintenance, provision of aviation infrastructural services and other needs. The ministry is headed by a Minister appointed by the President, assisted by a Permanent Secretary, who is a career civil servant. The Ministry is responsible for parastatals such as the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. The ministry has its headquarters in Abuja. Previously the head office was in Lagos.
List of ministers
The ministry was headed by Femi Fani Kayode during President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration. He was succeeded by Felix Hyatt as Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation) when President Yar'Adua announced his cabinet in July 2007. Felix Hyatt was dropped on October 29, 2008 in a cabinet reshuffle. Babatunde Omotoba was sworn in as minister of Aviation on December 17, 2008. As of December 2009 the Permanent Secretary was Idris Adamu Kuta.
On July 5, 2010; President Goodluck Jonathan approved the redeployment of Federal Permanent Secretaries. A press statement by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation Mr. Stephen Oronsaye stated two recently appointed permanent secretaries received postings with 11 permanent secretaries reshuffled while 32 retained their portfolios. The current permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation is Ms. Anne Ene-Ita. Prior to the July 5th rotation, she was the immediate past permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development
Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi was confirmed to the post of Nigerian Minister of Aviation on July 2, 2011. She had previously served as the Director of Administration and Finance for the presidential campaign of Goodluck Jonathan.#
President Jonathan swore in former Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Corps Marshal Osita Chidoka as minister of aviation on 23 July 2014.
Departments
Previously the ministry's Civil Aviation Department investigated aircraft accidents. In 1989 the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) opened, and the Civil Aviation Department became the FCAA Department of Safety Services. During the same year the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), subordinate to the Ministry of Aviation, was established, and the FCAA no longer had accident investigation responsibilities. The name of the bureau was later changed to the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau. As part of the Civil Aviation Act of 2006, the AIB became an autonomous agency, the Accident Investigation Bureau.