Nigeria will not spend ‘dime’ to establish a national carrier

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has affirmed that the federal government will not be reinvesting in the contentious national carrier, Nigeria Air, which was suspended shortly after its launch by the previous administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

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The Minister disclosed this in a statement shared on his X page (formerly Twitter) on Sunday in response to an article published by the Vanguard newspaper.

The article detailed the address Mr Keyamo delivered in Lagos on Friday during the launch of a book titled “100 Years of Civil Aviation in Nigeria: History, Issues and Prospects,” authored by Wole Shadare.

He explained that rather than investing in the national carrier, the government is open to receiving proposals from private or public entities within and outside the country for such purposes.

“The correct story should be that the FG will not invest a dime in establishing a National Carrier but is always open to proposals from private or public entities, both in and out of the country, that truly benefit Nigeria and Nigerians in establishing a National Carrier,” the Minister’s tweet read.

However, the Minister said before that happens, the government is concentrating on developing policies to ensure the growth and survival of local operators in the country.

Background
In September 2023, Mr Keyamo suspended the move to establish a national carrier less than two weeks after being sworn in as Aviation Minister and about four months after his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, unveiled the controversial airline in May that year.

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After several failed promises, Mr Sirika launched Nigeria’s national carrier, Nigeria Air, less than three days before leaving office.

The development further heightened concerns among Nigerians, as many took to social media to question the move and Mr Sirika’s handling of the airline’s proposed operation.

The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation later called for the suspension of the establishment of Nigeria Air and the prosecution of those involved in unveiling the national carrier, describing the exercise as a “ fraud”.

Since leaving office, Mr Sirika and his associates are being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N19.4 billion contract fraud and abuse of office.

At the event on Friday, Mr Keyamo said the federal government had shelved the idea of funding a national carrier but would instead implement policies to enhance the efficiency of local operators to grow and compete with international airlines.

He reiterated that recent reforms, such as the recently revised insurance policy on leased aircraft, will help local airline operators in the acquisition and financing of aircraft.

“We have shifted focus to ensure growth and development for local operators through our policies”, Mr Keyamo said, adding that air traffic operators have been trained and retrained, just as revenue leakages had been addressed to boost earnings.

The minister also hinted that almost all foreign airlines had complied with his directive to patronise local caterers for in-flight catering.