Tag: Nigeria Air

Ghost of botched Nigeria Air deal haunts Aviation Ministry

Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, the new Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has denied there is a mandate to revive the botched Nigeria Air deal with Ethiopian airline.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls Dr. Kana had during his inaugural statement on Monday at his hand-over ceremony made reference to the revival of the National Carrier Project.

However, today, the new Permanent Secretary has come forth to say he never received any instruction for the revival of the botched Nigeria Air deal with Ethiopian airline.

“Since my inaugural statement on Monday at the hand-over ceremony, I have been inundated with inquiries about my reference to the revival of the National Carrier Project.

“For the avoidance of doubt I never said that there is a mandate to revive the botched Nigeria Air deal with Ethiopian airline. I received no such instruction.

“I was only referring to the general vision of the Administration to still consider a National Carrier Project if it is favourable to the country and under the guidance and directives of Mr. President and the Honourable Minister of Aviation.

“I hope this clarifies all the ambiguities surrounding my earlier statement on this issue,” Kana said.

TNG reports the Nigerian government unveiled the Nigeria Air national carrier project at the Farnborough Air Show in England on 18 July 2018 under Hadi Sirika as Minister of Aviation with Muhammadu Buhari as president.

The proposed airline was expected to gulp $8.8 million in preliminary cost and $300 million as take-off cost. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Compilation of Budgetary Allocations show that the federal government spent N85.42 billion on transaction advisers, working capital and consultancy bills for Nigeria Air between 2016 and 2023.

Despite the huge amount spent on the national carrier, the airline failed to secure Air Operating Certificate, an approval granted by a Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial flight operations. It also failed secure aircraft for operations.

After the unveiling of Nigeria Air on May 27, 2023, reports emerged that the minister had chartered an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft for the launch. However, Nigeria’s former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika says contrary to speculations, only N3 billion was spent on the National carrier project also known as Nigeria Air, adding he never spent N85 billion.

The FG proposed the new national carrier, having been without a national carrier for over two decades after Nigeria Airways stopped operating in 2003 and was liquidated in 2004. The government decided to liquidate the airline due to its declining performance and debts.

After several promises to give Nigerians a national carrier, former Nigerian Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika officially unveiled Nigeria Air in Abuja on May 27, 2023, just 48 hours before the end of his tenure.

The minister had previously disclosed that Nigeria Air would begin operation before the swearing-in of a new administration on May 29, 2023. However, the airline did not start operations in April 2022 as planned.

The national carrier, which was first unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow in London in 2018, was officially unveiled and expected to operate under a shared ownership arrangement between the Federal Government, shareholders and a partnering airline, Ethiopian Airlines.

The plan was for the Ethiopian airline to manage its operations under a management contract, aiming to connect the local Nigerian market with international markets and destinations.

The now-defunct Nigeria Airways was established in August 1958, after the dissolution of the West African Airways Corporation.

It finally ceased operations in 2003 owing to military incursion, mismanagement, corruption and bad debts and was liquidated in 2004.

In its heydays, Nigeria Airways had over 30 aircraft. Nigeria Airways was later succeeded by Virgin Nigeria, and the ground facilities were taken over by Arik Air.

January 8, 2025
Reaction trails suspension of Nigeria Air project

An Aviation Analyst, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, has lauded the suspension of the Nigeria Air project by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, (SAN).

Ohunayo, the General Secretary, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART), who made this known in Lagos on Thursday, described the move as commendable and asked that all personnel involved in the project be probed.

“I commend the Federal Government through the ministry of Aviation for stopping the Nigerian air project. That project was injurious and was never beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians.

“They should not just stop at that airline project, but go further to probe the personnel and funds pumped into the project as well as recoup the funds,” he said.

Recall the Nigeria Air project was announced in England in 2018 at the Farnborough Air Show as a national carrier. The proposed airline was expected to gulp $8.8 million in the preliminary cost and $300 million as take-off cost.

Ohunayo further commended the Federal Government for supporting domestic airlines intending to fly international routes. He said that domestic airlines in the past were pushed and suppressed from operating international flights.

“This slowed down the process and responses they were getting from the foreign aviation bodies giving permission to start operation.

“When Air Peace started, despite the Naira not performing well, the international fares began to drop. That is the beauty of competition. We must continue in that stead and ensure that Nigeria utilises its position in the Bilateral Service Agreement,” he said.

Ohunayo commended other feats achieved in the industry in the last one year including the approval of major equipment for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the lighting of runways across the country.

May 30, 2024
Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo gives update on Nigeria Air project

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo has disclosed the Nigeria Air project, had been suspended and a report submitted to President Bola Tinubu on the next line of action.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Keyamo disclosed this at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday in Abuja.

While stressing he would not want to pre-empt the decision of the president on the matter, the Aviation Minister, however, disclosed that various issues surrounding the deployment of the airline was appropriately tabled in the report to the president.

Keyamo said at the right time Nigerian would be informed of the circumstances of the airline and when a new one would take off.

Keyamo also said that the council ratified the Bilateral Air Service Agreement with the Republic of Guyana, which was signed since 2014.

He said that the agreement would bring about lesser air travel time for passengers going to most European countries.

Keyamo also disclosed that the Federal Government is to procure customised explosives and narcotic detection screening system with remote and dual view for five international airports to reduce the stress encountered by passengers.

He said that the contract was coming on the heels of the administration’s concern for the long delay and complaints by passengers using airports across the country.

He said that the N3.28billion machines would be installed in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu Airports, adding that it has a completion period of 12 month from date of payment.

“Since I came to office, we have been inundated with the harrowing experience that passengers go through at the airports where they have to physically search their bags. You see various agencies lined-up and they will be dipping their hands into your bags.

“We thought we should do something like you have the TSA in America where you have detection machines so when you pass your bags through their machines it detects explosives and any other thing and that’s the end of the search,’’ he said.

November 27, 2023
Domestic Airlines laud Keyamo over Nigeria Air suspension

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has lauded the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo for suspending every activity related to the operationalisation of the Nigeria Air.

Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, spokesman for the airlines made this known in a statement in Lagos on Friday.

Recalled that the minister on Thursday, said all activities of Nigeria Air and Concession were suspended until he briefed President Bola Tinubu about them.

Okonkwo, who is also the Chairman of United Airline, said by the action, the minister had displayed rare courage and great patriotism to save Nigeria from further embarrassment in the aviation world.

The spokesman said it was evident to everyone who had followed developments around the Nigeria Air project under the immediate past administration that the idea was ill-thought and lacked modicum of transparency.

“It was therefore, no surprise that the House of Representatives Committees on Aviation which investigated the process and purported launch of Nigeria Air on Friday, June 2, 2023, described it as a fraud

“It remains a puzzle to Nigerians why the processes of actualising such a major national project was shrouded in almost utter secrecy until the end of the last government.

“However, we remain confident that by suspending the Nigeria Air project to allow for a thorough review, the new aviation minister will put things right and help restore Nigeria’s image in the global aviation family.

“AON continues to believe that it is not right to float a national carrier on the terms set out by the immediate past aviation minister.

“This is because the process will undermine, even destroy, the aviation sector in Nigeria with Ethiopian Airlines waiting on the wings for total takeover.”he said.

Okonkwo said the airlines had no doubt that the new aviation minister had the right vision for the development of the sector which was driven by public interest considerations for the good of Nigerians.

He reiterated AON’s commendation to the minister for the great leadership he had shown early in his tenure and pledged their unalloyed support in his quest to reform the aviation sector.

September 1, 2023
Keyamo orders closure of old MMIA terminal, suspends Nigeria Air

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has ordered that the old international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos be shut down by Oct. 1.

Keyamo gave the directive during an on-the-spot facility tour of Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Thursday.

Keyamo said the new Chinese-constructed terminal would begin operations on Oct. 1, to give room for the complete maintenance of the old terminal.

He said: “We must use what we have for now. I have given both international airlines and local airlines till 1st October, to move from the old terminal to the new one.

“We are going to shut down the old terminal temporarily and sort out all the issues surrounding the old terminal such as concession agreements.”

“The old international terminal, right from the toilet facilities to the arrival, departure halls, are an eyesore to Nigerians and foreigners.

“The lifts are not working and the passage is unwelcoming, and there is no air conditioner. We have the new terminal but it cannot be used. It was designed without provision for big planes.

“I don’t know what happened and I have been asking that question that makes them not to have avio-bridges that would lead to the big planes.”

Keyamo said 60 per cent of revenue that FAAN generates comes from the Lagos airport, saying that beyond that, it was the gateway, and the first impression getting into the country.

He directed the immediate suspension of the Nigeria Air project and the concession project, stressing that he owes it to the government and Nigerians to give honest assessment.

The minister directed the ministry to relocate the Dominion Air and EAN hangar to create an apron facility for bigger aircraft to come to the new terminal.

He, however said that government would have an emergency procurement to ensure buses were provided to transit the international passengers to and from where the wide-body aircraft could park and disembark.

The minister was at the MMA1, MMA2, Fire Service, as well as the old and new international terminals.

August 31, 2023
Hadi Sirika reveals when Nigeria Air will eventually fly

Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has disclosed that the estimated take-off period of Nigeria Air would be in the next three or four weeks.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Sirika made the disclosure during an interaction with newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

The former Aviation Minister said the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari incorporated Nigeria Air as a private company to rectify the failures of the past in operations of national carriers by government.

“When we looked at past efforts to drive a national carrier by both the government and private sector, we saw that we need to initiate a different approach that will launch Nigeria into global reckoning.

“The idea was that we should have less of government investment to make it a purely business driven venture that will work effectively and efficiently and achieve world class standard.

“We therefore invited local and foreign investors with credible records to form part of the proposed national carrier. The shareholders of this airline went through due process before their selection,” he said.

Sirika stressed that the display of the aeroplane that heralded the inauguration was a market strategy employed by the shareholders to launch the business in the minds of customers in Nigeria.

He said that every business venture has different strategy of making lasting impression on the minds of its different target audience, adding that no money was spent in doing that on May 26.

The former minister said that as an expert in aviation industry the estimated take off period of the Nigeria Air would be in the next three or four weeks.

Meanwhile, industry experts have said starting an airline is tough and running a profitable one even tougher.

They listed some requirements for establishing an airline to include obtaining air transport licence, airline operating permit, air operator certificate, and foreign carrier operating permit.

It also requires registering an aircraft, aerodrome certification and air transport licence.

Nigeria Air has an ownership structure of 49 per cent held by Ethiopian Airlines, 46 per cent by Nigerian private investors, including SAHCO, MRS and other institutional investors, and five per cent by the Federal Government.

The airline was unveiled three days before the end of the Buhari administration.

June 13, 2023
Nigeria Air: Rep Nnaji replies Hadi Sirika after bribery accusation

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji has reacted to the allegation by former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika regarding Nigeria Air.

At a public hearing, Nnaji described the controversial project as a fraud and condemned the use of an Ethiopian Airlines’ registered aircraft during the launch in May.

On Sunday, Sirika alleged that the former House Committee Chairman on Aviation asked him for 5 percent equity shares in the national carrier.

In response, Nnaji called Sirika a drowning man and advised him to tell citizens “the truth about the contraption he sold to us as Nigeria Air”.

Nnaji recalled that his committee was inundated with petitions from stakeholders after the announcement of Ethiopian Airlines as the core investor.

The committee, he noted, requested for the evidence of the bid process and the business case prepared by the Nigerian Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

Nnaji said Sirika told them the document was being worked out by the ICRC and would make it available but failed to do so before Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) sued the Ministry and got an order stopping the project.

“On May 20th 2023, l received reports of threats of mass resignations by key personnel of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),” he said.

The threat, according to him, followed pressures from the Ministry to give waivers to Nigeria Air to enable it secure Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) so that it could take off before President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office.

Nnaji said he issued a statement warning the former Minister against subverting the authority of NCAA because of its severe consequences on the air transport sector.

“It is also common knowledge that the Nigerian institutional investors he mentioned as participants have all denied him.

“It is not strange that Sirika came up with these spurious allegations against my person because l remained consistent in demanding that he followed due process. He should not deviate from the subject”, Nnaji added.

June 12, 2023
JUST IN: Hadi Sirika makes damning revelation, says Nigeria Air not unveiled by FG

Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has disclosed that the national carrier, Nigeria Air recently launched, was not unveiled by the federal government of Nigeria but by the national carrier’s shareholders.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Sirika, who made the disclosure when he appeared on Arise TV on Sunday, also made a damning revelation about the Chairman of House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, accusing him of asking for 5 percent of Nigerian Air.

Recall that during a hearing by the House of Representatives, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation had declared the launch of Nigeria Air a fraud. Nnaji had picked holes in the project, criticising the federal government for what he described as poor handling. He said after careful evaluation of the matter, his committee was dissatisfied with the actions of Sirika.

However, reacting, the former Aviation Minister said: “On the issue of Hon Nnaji who called Nigeria Air launch a fraud, I will respond now. I will say exactly what I told him in private when we spoke. Hon Nnaji asked me that I should give him 5% of Nigeria to carry him along with his people, and I said to him at that time, Honourable, a bidding process that has taken place, and some people won. So, I think you should go to those people and ask for the 5 percent.

“He asked me that please I should give him 5 percent of Nigeria Air to carry him along with his people. I said to him that time that look, Honourable, but he did not understand me, this is a bidding process that has taken place and some persons won. So, I think he should go to those people and asked them about the 5 per cent”.

The former Minister of Aviation, speaking further on the controversial Nigeria Air project, said that only N3 billion was released for the project and that the funds were spent on consultative services, stressing that the N3 billion had not been fully expended before he left the office on May 29.

Sirika explained that the government did not pay for the chartered Ethiopian aircraft showcased as Nigeria Air, which he said was brought by Ethiopian Airlines to demonstrate commitment to the project.

He denied the allegation of spending N85 billion on the project, emphasizing that only N5 billion was budgeted and not all of the N3 billion released was expended during his tenure.

Sirika revealed that the federal government released only N3 billion for the Nigeria Air project in the last 7 years.

According to him, the total money budgeted for the project since 2018 was N5 billion, out of which N3 billion had been disbursed.

This is even as he declared that the country did not pay a dime for the Chartered Ethiopian Aircraft showcased a few days before President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration ended.

“From 2016 to 2023, all the money voted and budgeted for Nigeria Air is N5 billion. But all that was released was in the neighbourhood of N3 billion, not N85 billion, and not all of the N3 billion has been expended as of the time I left office.

“What has been done with the money is nothing but to get special advisory services, the AOC processes, salaries, consultive services, and the maintenance of the office in Abuja.

“No contract was awarded by Hadi Sirika, these are the things the money was used for. And there is the Freedom of Information Act, people can apply and get all the information about what the money has been used for.

“The N85 billion being mentioned is only in the imagination of the people carrying it about,” Hadi Sirka said.

June 11, 2023
Arrest of twin brothers, 82 internet fraudsters by EFCC sparks call for arrest of ex-Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika

The arrest of twin brothers and 82 internet fraudsters by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sparked call for the anti graft agency to arrest former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika.

Operatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC arrested 56 suspected internet fraudsters in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

Similarly, Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command arrested two identical twins: Takwan Potential and Takwan Peter and 26 others for alleged internet fraud in Calabar, Cross River State.

However, the development has sparked calls for the EFCC to swoop in on Sirika to arrest him over what many have described as the Nigeria Air scam.

TNG recalls the Federal Government had in July 2018 unveiled the much-awaited new national carrier during the Farnborough Air Show in London.

In eight years, the Muhammadu Buhari administration, a day to the inauguration of the President Bola Tinubu administration, Sirika supposedly launch the Nigeria Air airline.

However at an investigative hearing of Senate Committee on Aviation over the state of Nigeria Air project, the Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Capt. Dapo Olumide, told legislators that the aircraft paraded as Nigeria Air plane belonged to Ethiopian Airlines and not Nigeria whereas Sirika paraded the aircraft as being owned by Nigeria.

Olumide had disclosed at the investigative hearing that the supposed Nigeria Air aircraft that flew in with logo of the airline was chartered from Ethiopian Airline for the purpose of unveiling the logo.

He also disclosed that the airline was yet to secure an operating licence for full flight operations, contrary to submission of the past minister of aviation on the Air Nigeria.

Olumide had told the Senate committee that the aircraft was used pending the completion of the processes required for the operation of the airline.

With Sirika as the arrowhead, the Aviation Ministry spent over N85 billion on Nigeria Air, as shown in data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Compilation of Budgetary Allocations between 2016 and 2023.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Aviation Committee, Sen. Biodun Olujimi and the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, both agreed that the launch of Nigeria Air was a fraud.

Olumide admitted that the Boeing 737-800 aircraft used to unveil the country’s national career was a legitimate chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines.

He said the aircraft returned to Ethiopian Airlines after the unveiling.

Angered by the development, and with the EFCC going after internet fraudsters, Nigerians have asked the commission to go after Sirika and other politicians perceived to have embezzled government funds instead.

“Unless you arrest Hadi Sirika @hadisirika no one will believe EFCC anymore,” a Twitter user, who goes by the handle, @CrownprinceCom2 tweeted.

Another Twitter user with the handle, @PIDOMNIGERIA tweeted: “If it is china, Hadi sirika @hadisirika will be sentence to death, & be killed next week latest.

“If it is Japan, he will hurriedly commit suicide tonight, to avoid the shame & embarrassment. If it is the US, they will arrest him today & charge him to court. In Nigeria, guess”.

June 9, 2023
Nigeria Air: Pressure mounts on EFCC to probe ex-Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been called on to investigate the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika over unpleasant discoveries on purported lunch of Nigeria Air aircraft.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Haruna Gololo made the call while addressing a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

He was reacting to the disclosure by the Acting Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Capt Dapo Olumide at an investigative hearing of Senate Committee on Aviation over the state of Nigeria Air project.

Olumide had disclosed at the investigative hearing that the supposed Nigeria Air aircraft that flew in with logo of the airline was chartered from Ethiopian Airline for the purpose of unveiling the logo.

He also disclosed that the airline was yet to secure an operating licence for full flight operations, contrary to submission of the past minister of aviation on the Air Nigeria.

Olumide had told the Senate committee that the aircraft was used pending the completion of the processes required for the operation of the airline.

Gololo, however, said: ”we are giving the EFCC two weeks to arrest and investigate the former Minister of Aviation and other key participants in the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.”

He said if the EFCC could go after “Yahoo Boys,” for alleged scam, the anti- graft agency could as well go after the government officials for alleged monumental fraud

“Only yesterday the Senate Committee Aviation confirmed the fear and suspicion of many Nigerians, when it unearthed the issues in the aviation sector by the immediate past minister, on indicating that procurement of Nigeria Air was a scam which gulped billions of tax payers fund”

Gololo, who was Coordinator of the North-East Tinubu, Shettima supporters group during the general elections said further:

“What happened to the M11.3 trillion spent on the Turn Around Maintenance ( TAM), of the Kaduna, Warri and Porthacourt refineries.

“But today the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who awarded the contracts has gone to run for governorship election to seek immunity.

“There are several other MDAs that were looted under Buhari’s administration.”

He expressed displeasure on the appointment of the new Executive Director of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) by the out -gone administration, saying that the appointee was in NNPC while refineries remained unfuctional.

June 7, 2023