Former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Sirika, has accused some Nigerian airlines of frustrating the Nigeria Air project, which was intended to be a national carrier in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines.
Speaking on Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, Sirika explained that domestic operators under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), particularly Air Peace, Azman Air, and United Nigeria Airlines, opposed the deal because the federal government’s stake in the venture was limited. According to him, their legal challenge ultimately derailed the project.
The former minister stressed that the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines was transparent and followed due process, having passed through the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC). He further insisted that the allegations of fraud surrounding the deal were unfounded.
Sirika clarified that between 2015 and 2023, only ₦3 billion was released out of the ₦5 billion budgeted for the project, with nearly a third of the funds spent on consultancy and the rest on staff recruitment. He said he left over ₦1 billion unspent when leaving office.
“We had an airline ready,” he said. “But some people went to court to challenge the five per cent stake for Nigeria in the venture, and that stalled everything. If the court case had been resolved and the new administration had pursued it, Nigeria would have had a functioning national carrier by now.”
On why Ethiopian Airlines was chosen as a partner, Sirika argued that no Nigerian airline currently has the capacity to compete with established global carriers. He noted that Ethiopian Airlines, which has successfully operated for 79 years, was the best fit to help Nigeria gain a strong presence in international aviation.
He also highlighted the high cost of air tickets from Nigeria compared to neighbouring countries like Ghana, attributing the disparity to the absence of a strong national airline.
“An airline with just five aircraft cannot compete in the global market and expect to make profit,” Sirika said. “When the bidding process was conducted transparently, Ethiopian Airlines won fairly. There was no fraud in the arrangement.”
Calling for transparency, Sirika urged Nigerians to use the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) to request documents from the Ministry of Aviation and the ICRC to verify the details of the agreement and dispel claims of corruption.
He concluded by insisting that Nigeria Air would eventually become a reality, describing the project as inevitable for the country’s aviation future.
