Nigeria Air Project Fraudulent and Remains Suspended – Keyamo

 

Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has criticized the 'Nigeria Air' project introduced by former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, labeling it fraudulent and confirming its suspension.

 

During the Ministerial Sectorial update in Abuja on Monday, Keyamo detailed the flaws of the project, intended to be a national carrier that would inspire hope among Nigerians. Instead, he described it as shrouded in secrecy and marred by fraudulent activities.

 

Keyamo clarified, "It was never Air Nigeria, it was Ethiopian trying to fly our flag. It was not Air Nigeria. That is the truth. 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?"

 

He emphasized that Air Nigeria should be an indigenous project, wholly Nigerian, benefiting Nigerians fully, rather than giving 60 percent of the profits to another country. "It remains suspended. It remains so," Keyamo asserted.

 

On the aviation sector's economic development, Keyamo highlighted the resumption of cargo flights to Saudi Arabia, which had been suspended for some time. He noted that this move would allow Nigeria to tap into the $6 trillion global cargo market.

 

"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. Air cargo trade accounts for 35 percent of the world trade deficit and, according to the International AirTransport Association (IATA), attracts about $6 trillion annually. We were missing out on many routes around the world, and now we have achieved that," Keyamo explained.