Firiehiwot Mekonnen is the General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) in Nigeria. Before rising to her new position, the mother of one was Head, Traffic and Sales in the Abuja office of the airline. In this interview with OKORIE UGURU, she talks about the responsibility of handling the airline’s five daily flights to and from Nigeria; her love for and relationship with the country. She also talks about the airline’s policy of empowering women and other issues.
There are very few women managing this facet of airlines like you; do you see your appointment as a change from the norm and a plus for women in the world, especially in Africa?
I see the world as continuously changing, to give more opportunity to women to become leaders at the top of organizations and this is already proving itself by the way of increased productivity and improved efficiency at Ethiopian Airlines, the leading aviation group in Africa is taking the leading path in making this come true. One of the value statement of Ethiopian Airlines is “equal opportunity, employer committed to diversity and fairness” So you can see that this is happening already. ET has given women the chance to be pilots, engineers, ground handlers, and aviation instructors, regional and country managers. If you come and see the biggest aviation Academy in Africa, it is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, you will see lots of women studying these fields from all over African countries.
Could you talk about ET’s business in Nigeria and Africa in general?
ET is the only SKYTRAX 4-star airline in Africa that is now flying to five destinations in Nigeria every day, including Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Enugu. It airlifted the highest number of international passengers out of Nigeria in 2017, according to NCAA analysis. This is history; that an African airline carried the highest number of passengers in another African country. We are happy that we were able to defend Africa in this rating. Even during the closure of Abuja airport, ET was the only international airline that agreed to fly Kaduna. Already we are seeking partnerships with other African countries to strengthen their capacity to thrive like us. We are doing this in Togo, Malawi, Zambia, and more recently in Guinea. We fly to over 100 destinations worldwide with the most modern fleet of Boeing B787, Dreamliner B777 and Airbus A350. With our vision 2025 strategy, we are opening up more international routes in the next six months including Geneva Switzerland, Buenos Aires Argentina, Nosybe Madagascar, and Kisangani DRC.
What was first your impression about Nigeria at your arrival?
My first impression about Nigeria was very nice and beautiful. Nigerians are very enterprising people. They are very happy and bubbly with energy. I like that. They can start up a conversation with you even when they do not know you.
Did you hear any stories about the country before your arrival?
Yes, I heard a lot about Nigeria before my posting, that Nigeria is Africa’s giant with lots of blessed resources. I also heard some crazy stories about how Nigerians act. I have since found out that most of the stories are exaggerated. Yes, to some outsiders, Nigerians are different but Nigerians are one of the most welcoming people I have met.
In fact, the impression I got once I came to Nigeria was different from what I heard. I came to really connect with Nigeria and Nigerians. I eat Nigerian food, dress in Nigerian attire, and participate in different social gatherings. All these and others doubled my love for the country and its people, who are really friendly. I cannot describe how it feels to attend Nigerian parties and events. It is so colourful.
Are there Nigerian foods, culture and traditions including fashion that you connect with?
I love Nigerian food. In fact, I go out with friends to Nigerian restaurants. I love the culture of friendship and family ties too. The attire is really different and I have quite a number of Nigerian national dresses, because they are beautiful, colourful and graceful. I feel happy whenever I wear them. Even my family members and friends now have Nigerian dresses. I have been exposed to the richness of Nigerian culture and its people, Nigerian films (Nollywood) and the music. Do you know that Dangote has become a household name in Ethiopia since he built one of his factories in Ethiopia?