“Driving African Economies through the Power of Aviation” is the theme for a major aviation conference taking place in the Nigerian capital in May, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Tuesday, saying that for Africa to realise its full economic potential, aviation, particularly commercial air transport, must be prioritised.

“Aviation has the potential to make a much more significant contribution to economic growth and development within the continent if its power is unleashed,” said Raphael Kuuchi, Vice President Africa, IATA.

According to Hussein Dabbas, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and The Middle East, “the conference is a great opportunity for Africa’s key stakeholders to debate the industry’s most pressing issues and align actions to address the challenges”.

“Through harnessing the power of aviation we will be helping to build a brighter future—not only for individual airlines and the air transport industry, but for all Africans, who will benefit with greater prosperity through jobs and opportunities,” he said.

The 2016 ‘Aviation Day Africa’ conference in Abuja between May 23 and May 24 will bring together regional stakeholders to address current issues affecting aviation in Africa, including the proliferation of taxes and charges, public-private partnerships, aviation, safety, security, next generation airports and market connectivity.

Aviation in Africa carries over 70 million passengers a year, supports more than 6.9 million jobs on the continent and generates over $80 billion in GDP. Over the next five years the African economy is forecast to grow at a strong 4.7% per year, well above the global average rate.