The Federal Government has indefinitely suspended Nigeria Air, as announced during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja marking President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the suspension.
In 2023, the Ministry of Aviation, under former minister Hadi Sirika, unveiled Nigeria Air just three days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. This move raised concerns among stakeholders about the ownership structure, which allocated a 49% equity stake to Ethiopian Airlines, 5% to the Federal Government, and 46% to a consortium of three Nigerian investors.
In June 2023, the House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to suspend Nigeria Air’s operations, calling it a fraudulent venture. By August 2023, Keyamo announced the suspension of the national carrier project until further notice.
Keyamo emphasized that the airline should be wholly Nigerian and beneficial to the country, not predominantly owned by a foreign entity. He stated, “It was never Air Nigeria; it was only painted as Nigeria Air. It was Ethiopian Airlines trying to use our flag. If that’s the case, why not allow our local planes to fly our flag? No one should dispute that it was Nigeria Air. Air Nigeria should be indigenous and entirely for the benefit of Nigeria, not that 50% of the profit goes to another country.”
He reiterated that the current ownership structure is not advantageous for Nigeria, stressing that the airline should be fully Nigerian to ensure all benefits accrue to the nation.