The federal government has thrown its weight behind the proposed Fly Nigeria Act, a legislative move designed to bolster the country’s domestic aviation sector by prioritising local airlines for government-funded air travel.
Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, made the announcement in Abuja during a stakeholders’ engagement on the proposal on Friday.
He emphasised that the Act would create a fair playing ground for Nigerian airlines and curb what he described as a global conspiracy against the growth of the African aviation industry.
According to Keyamo, the Fly Nigeria Act will mandate that all air transportation funded by the government, including trips by government officials, contractors, grantees, and government properties, be carried out using Nigerian flag carriers.
He likened the initiative to the Cabotage Act, which supports indigenous operators in the marine sector and highlighted the urgent need to protect Nigeria’s aviation market from external dominance.
“If the Cabotage Act could be passed in favour of Nigerian ship owners, why not for aviation? That means there are certain external cabals in the aviation industry that seek to destroy the indigenous market so they can feed on that market.
“It is a global conspiracy, and you have to be smart to see it. If you look at the entire African continent, all the foreign airlines in the world feed on the African market without fair competition from African airlines, and they will ensure the African aviation market remains stunted so that they can keep feeding on it.
“But it’s important we develop our own to compete fairly. So, there is a global conspiracy in the aviation sector all over the world, and it’s such that they don’t want local airlines to grow so they can keep feeding on it.
“It is for us to wise up and come up with policies that will then empower our own local operators to put them on the negotiation table,” Keyamo said.
The minister expressed confidence that the Act would strengthen local airlines, boost job creation, attract investments, and align Nigeria’s aviation policies with international standards.
He also noted that despite being proposed over 15 years ago, the Act had not been implemented, attributing the delay to external influences resisting the growth of indigenous airlines.
“The rate of mortality among local airlines is alarming, but this government is committed to reversing that trend. We must provide local operators with the environment they need to survive and compete globally. The Fly Nigeria Act is a step toward achieving that,” he added.
Keyamo dismissed the notion of establishing a national carrier for now, stating that the priority is to empower existing local operators. He noted that the aviation industry is crucial to Nigeria’s economic growth, connecting the nation locally and internationally while driving trade and investment.
The initiative has received strong support from stakeholders. Allen Onyema, vice president of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and CEO of Air Peace, lauded the government’s efforts. He credited recent positive changes in the aviation sector to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, noting that enabling policies have replaced the blame culture of the past.
“We are witnessing a new dawn in the aviation sector. The Fly Nigeria Act will conserve foreign exchange, create jobs, and attract investors to the industry. This is a transformative step for Nigerian airlines,” Onyema said.
According to him, the Fly Nigeria Act is expected to foster national pride, increase patronage of local carriers, and elevate the country’s aviation industry to a globally competitive level.
(Business Day)
