The Nigerian government has announced the indefinite suspension of the much-anticipated Nigeria Air project.
The news was delivered by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, at a ministerial press briefing marking President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office on Monday.
Nigeria Air, unveiled in May 2023 by the immediate past aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, was envisioned as Nigeria’s national airline. It was scheduled to launch operations in December 2023, aiming to revitalise Nigeria’s presence in the aviation sector.
However, the controversies that trailed the project and the unveiling led Keyamo to formally suspend it in August 2023.
While the suspension hanged the future of a Nigerian national carrier in the balance, Minister Keyamo hinted on Monday that the project will not be revived any time soon.
Keyamo said, “It remains suspended. It was never Air Nigeria. It was not Air Nigeria. That’s the truth. It was only painted Nigeria Air. It was Ethiopian Airlines trying to flag our flag.”
“Air Nigeria must be indigenous, must be wholly Nigerian, and must be for the full benefits of Nigeria, not that 50 per cent of the profit is for another country. So, it remains suspended.”
Ezinwanne Onwuka, senior staff reporter and columnist with WAP is a Nigerian-based writer and content developer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her interests include reading, writing, researching and graphic designing.
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