During Tuesday’s plenary session, the Senate turned down a motion seeking to revive contracts tied to the disputed Nigeria Air national carrier initiative, labeling the effort unproductive and a waste of time.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed this after a debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) during Tuesday’s plenary session.
The project was awarded by former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
While throwing out the prospect of salvaging the project, the upper chamber said Nigeria still requires a functional national carrier.
Lawmakers urged the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to explore fresh avenues for establishing a new national airline.
The Senate’s resolution stemmed from Senator Monguno’s motion, which urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to enforce and renegotiate the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and China.
Lawmakers called on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to ensure that Nigerian airlines are granted approval and operational clearance to fly direct routes to China.
Monguno recalled that Nigeria and China had signed the agreement under former President Muhammadu Buhari to establish direct commercial air links and increase flight frequencies.
He, however, expressed concern that the agreement had not been effectively implemented to guarantee reciprocal benefits for Nigerian airlines.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Customs Service to work towards effective implementation of the agreement.
Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi described the proposal as patriotic and beneficial to the country, but expanded the debate to include concerns over the activities of Chinese nationals in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
He maintained that Nigeria should not continue granting Chinese airlines access to its aviation market without securing equivalent opportunities for Nigerian carriers.
The senator consequently called for a review of the BASA if China failed to guarantee reciprocal flight rights for Nigerian airlines.
Akpabio said Nigeria needed a strong indigenous carrier to compete effectively in the international aviation market.
What You Should Know
The Senate has officially closed the door on reviving the controversial Nigeria Air national carrier project initiated under the previous administration, ruling that attempts to salvage the existing contracts are an unproductive use of time. Instead, lawmakers are urging the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to pursue fresh strategies to establish a functional national airline, while also pressing the government to enforce reciprocal air service agreements with international partners like China to protect local carriers.
- Positive Impact: Pushes the government to establish a genuine, viable national airline and demands fair international flying rights for Nigerian commercial airlines.
- Potential Concerns: Continued delays in setting up a working national carrier mean Nigeria remains without a flagship state-backed airline in the international aviation space.
