Ethiopian Airlines has announced that the Nigerian government has decided to withdraw from its partnership in the proposed Nigeria Air project. The announcement was made by the Airlines’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to the Ethiopian Tribune.
“The Nigerian government has lost interest in partnering with a foreign airline,” Tasew was quoted as saying. This announcement follows the Federal Government’s decision to indefinitely suspend the Nigeria Air project just two months earlier.
On May 27, during a ministerial briefing marking the first year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo announced the suspension of the Nigeria Air project. Keyamo criticized the deal with Ethiopian Airlines, stating that the ownership structure of the suspended airline was not beneficial to Nigeria. He argued that allowing a foreign entity to monopolize Nigeria’s aviation industry would be irresponsible and could compromise the growth of local businesses.
In 2023, the Ministry of Aviation, under former Minister Hadi Sirika, unveiled Nigeria Air just three days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The project raised concerns among stakeholders nationwide due to the ownership arrangement, which gave Ethiopian Airlines a 49 percent equity stake. The Federal Government held a 5 percent equity, while a consortium of three Nigerian investors owned the remaining 46 percent.
In June 2023, the House of Representatives reacted to the deal by asking the Federal Government to suspend the operations of Nigeria Air over allegations of fraud.
This recent decision by the Nigerian government marks the latest development in the ongoing saga surrounding the controversial Nigeria Air project.
