Nigeria Air Project Put on Hold by Tinubu Administration

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has indefinitely suspended the Nigeria Air project, just months after its launch.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the suspension on Monday, citing issues of secrecy and fraudulent activities that plagued the project.

The national carrier, intended to inspire hope among Nigerians, has been controversial since its inception. Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, now under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud, launched the airline days before ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration ended.

Controversy escalated when it was reported that an Ethiopian Airlines flight was repainted and launched as Nigeria’s national carrier. This incident led to the resignation of veteran aviator Girma Wake as Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines.

Capt Dapo Olumide, then Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, clarified that the aircraft used for the unveiling was a legitimately chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines, returned to them after the unveiling on Buhari’s administration’s last day in May.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation condemned the launch of Nigeria Air as fraudulent.

On Monday, Keyamo reiterated that the national carrier project, meant to be a source of national pride, was deeply flawed with secrecy and fraudulent activities, leading to its indefinite suspension.

He stated, “It was never Air Nigeria. It was Ethiopian trying to flag our flag and not Air Nigeria. That is the truth; it was not Nigeria. It only printed Air Nigeria. It was an Ethiopian airline trying to fly our flag. If it is so, why not allow our local people to fly our flag? Why bring a foreigner to fly our flag?”

“So nobody should deceive you that it is Air Nigeria. Air Nigeria must be indigenous, wholly Nigeria, or must be for the full benefit of Nigerians. Not that 60 percent of the profit is given to another country. How does that benefit us? It remains suspended. It remains so,” he added.

Keyamo also highlighted steps taken to boost economic development in the aviation sector, including the commencement of cargo flights to tap into the $6 trillion global cargo market.

“We have agreed to resume cargo flights between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. This has been suspended for a long time but now cargo flights are back. Air cargo trade accounts for 35 percent of the world trade deficit and attracts about $6 trillion annually, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). We were missing out on many routes around the world, and we have achieved that,” he said.

He added that issues surrounding the second runway at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport were resolved within just two weeks of his appointment.

Keyamo promised enhanced airport capacity and operational efficiency and confirmed that all trapped funds of foreign airlines have been cleared.

“We all know this issue was the issue of trapped funds of international airlines. Their funds were trapped here due to a lack of liquidity in Nigeria because of many subsidies we pay with our foreign earnings. Foreign airlines were threatening to stop operating in Nigeria. We worked closely with the CBN and the Minister of Finance, and by our persistence, we are happy to announce that we have cleared all the trapped funds.”

He added that under his leadership, efforts have been geared towards prioritizing and assisting local airlines, helping the country take full advantage of its reciprocal right under the BASA agreement with various countries.

Keyamo also mentioned that the open sky operation with the United States has begun, allowing Nigeria to enjoy unrestricted flights to the US, deployment of any kind of aircraft on those routes, and multiple entry points.