FG suspends Nigeria Air amid fraud allegations

FG suspends Nigeria Air amid fraud allegations

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has labelled the ‘Nigeria Air’ project, introduced by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, as fraudulent. Keyamo emphasized that the initiative remains suspended due to its deceptive nature and lack of genuine benefit to Nigerians.

During the Ministerial Sectorial update held on Monday in Abuja, Keyamo critiqued the project for being shrouded in secrecy and involving fraudulent activities. He clarified that the supposed national carrier was, in reality, an Ethiopian airline masquerading as a Nigerian entity.

“It was never Air Nigeria; it was Ethiopian trying to fly our flag. 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?” Keyamo stated.

He further asserted that a genuine national carrier should be entirely Nigerian and should benefit the country fully, rather than allocating 60% of the profits to another nation. “Air Nigeria must be indigenous, must be wholly Nigerian, 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,” he reiterated.

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In addition to addressing the suspension of Nigeria Air, Keyamo highlighted initiatives aimed at boosting economic development in the aviation sector. One significant step is the resumption of cargo flights between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, which had been halted for a considerable period.

“We have agreed that we’re going to resume cargo flights between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. This has been suspended for a long time but now cargo flights are back,” Keyamo announced.

He noted that air cargo trade is a substantial part of global trade, accounting for 35% of the world trade deficit and generating approximately $6 trillion annually, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Keyamo expressed optimism that Nigeria could tap into this lucrative market, enhancing the country’s presence in global trade routes.

As the aviation sector seeks to recover and grow, these measures are expected to bring significant economic benefits, positioning Nigeria more competitively in the global market.

FG suspends Nigeria Air amid fraud allegations