The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has pledged to make the long-delayed Fly Nigeria Act a reality during his tenure.
The proposed legislation mandates that all government-funded air travel, including transportation for personnel, contractors, grantees, and properties, be carried out exclusively by Nigerian flag carriers.
Speaking at a one-day “Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Legal Framework for the Fly Nigeria Bill and Related Enabling Legislation” in Abuja, Keyamo expressed frustration over the bill’s stagnation, despite being proposed more than 15 years ago. He assured stakeholders that his administration would rally the necessary support to see the bill enacted.
“This has been on the cards for some time, for many years—more than 15 years,” Keyamo said. “My predecessor, Chief Omotoba, served more than 15 years ago. You can imagine that this bill was taken to council then, and yet it did not see the light of day. Under my tenure, it will happen.”
Keyamo revealed that his administration is working to revive stalled aviation reforms aimed at boosting the local aviation industry.
“When I came to the office, I saw a couple of these things hanging on my desk, like the Cape Town Convention, to the cry of the Aviation Working Group, and all the proposals made to former governments to develop the indigenous industry,” he explained. “We decided to revive all of these dormant initiatives, including the Fly Nigeria Act.”
He acknowledged receiving proposals from prominent stakeholders, including legal expert Olisa Agbakoba, and underscored the urgency of addressing systemic challenges in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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Keyamo decried what he described as a global conspiracy to suppress African airlines and keep the continent dependent on foreign carriers.
“Look at the entire African continent. All the foreign airlines in the world feed on African markets without competition from African airlines, without fair competition,” he lamented. “They ensure that this aviation market in Africa remains taunted, especially in a big country like Nigeria, so they can continue to feed on our markets.”
He highlighted how foreign airlines profit immensely from Nigeria’s aviation market, often with little benefit to the country or its citizens.
“Air France is coming here full, going back full,” he said. “Nationals of the world have been feeding fat in Nigeria without commensurate gain to Africans.”
The Fly Nigeria Act received backing from key players in the aviation industry, including the Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, and the association’s spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo. Both described the initiative as a transformative step for Nigeria’s aviation and domestic airlines.
To move the bill forward, Keyamo announced plans to convene a technical session to refine the draft resolution and collaborate with the National Assembly.
“We’ll set up a technical session. We have a pre-draft resolution here. The National Assembly members are waiting for the bill to get there. The senators are just waiting,” he said. “It’s for us to set up a technical committee. We’ve agreed in principle that this is good for us and good for aviation, especially for local operators.”
Keyamo emphasized that the Fly Nigeria Act is not just a policy but a necessity to strengthen the nation’s aviation sector and promote the growth of Nigerian airlines in a competitive global market.
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Last modified: December 18, 2024
