Travel News

BY  Samson Folarin

Respite is not in sight for motorists and commuters plying the Long Bridge, Ogun State end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as hoodlums have continued to launch attacks on users of the road.

PUNCH Metro learnt that despite efforts by the police and the surrounding communities to end the scourge, including hiring vigilantes and installing solar-powered lights on the bridge, robbers still found means of dispossessing people of their valuables.

The Long Bridge is a five-kilometre bridge stretching from the Warewa end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to the OPIC/Kara end of the road.

Hoodlums have been known to hide under the bridge and attack people after their vehicles break down or there is a traffic jam, especially at night and early in the morning.

After robbing their victims, they sometimes club others and leave them for dead.

Some others have been kidnapped on the bridge, including a bus driver, Ahmed Adepoju, who was abducted on March 5, 2021, after his vehicle broke down.

Our correspondent gathered that the usual victims were residents of the host communities of Arepo, Warewa, Banku, Mokore, Arigbede and Magboro.

A resident, who shared his experience on his estate security platform, said his wife was attacked in broad daylight last Tuesday after her vehicle broke down.

He said, “My wife was attacked on the Long Bridge in broad daylight around 1.30pm when her vehicle had a little hitch right in the middle of the bridge.

“She actually had a fuel gauge problem and so didn’t know when her fuel ran out. She was lucky to get a known face from Aribido with a motorcycle, who helped her to buy fuel.

“As fate would have it, as soon as the fuel was poured into the tank and the engine started, out of nowhere, some Fulani herdsmen (from her description), appeared and one opened the driver’s side door and lunged at her with a dagger, trying to stab her. Thank God for his goodness, she said she didn’t know how she dodged the descending knife by mere inches and stepped on the throttle at the same time as she sped off to safety. She didn’t stop until she got to Matrix fuel station before she could get herself together and catch her breath.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the writer craved anonymity for security reasons.

Another resident said there had been an influx of some people from a particular region of the country, who were settling around the Pipeline Road, Unity Estate, Arepo.

He said the migrants posed security threats.

A former Chairman, Journalists’ Estate Residents Development Association, Phase 1, Arepo, John Ajayi, said two attacks were reported to the security committee last Wednesday.

He noted that while one happened around 1.30pm, the other occurred around 6pm.

He stated, “The Long Bridge has become a menace to people living in that corridor, particularly those in Warewa, Arepo and Magboro. We have made several attempts to stop the attacks. We even went to the extent of building a house for the police at the Warewa Division. We also bought patrol buses for the police. But the police are not well equipped and their number is not sufficient. They don’t have enough men to patrol the bridge.

“Recently, a concerned resident donated some equipment to be installed on the Long Bridge so that we could have the place illuminated. Despite this, the bad boys continue to operate there. This is because under the bridge accommodates them. They usually jump out of the place to attack motorists. As it is now, we are in danger and we are afraid.”

He asked the government to station patrol vehicles on the bridge and secure the lives of users.

The President, Arepo Residential Community Development Association, Mr Bode Adefolu, confirmed the attack on the female motorist, adding that the security situation on the bridge was a serious cause of concern to residents.

He noted that the community was searching for experts, who would install proper security lights on the bridge.

“We also need to increase the number of security patrols on the bridge. We have employed 10 security guards already, five during the day and five at night. But we need more. On June 11, the Police Community Relations Committee approached the Ogun State Government to assist us with Amotekun, which is part of what we are looking forward to now,” he added.

A senior police officer at the Warewa Division said the police got a report of an attack on the bridge last Tuesday.

The officer, however, noted that the hoodlums were repelled.

“There is no high incidence of attacks on the bridge as claimed,” the officer added.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said detectives had been patrolling the bridge on shifts.

According to him, there has not been any official complaint for the past three months.

“We know how many people we have arrested on that bridge and those who have lost their lives during exchange of gunfire with our policemen. Our policemen are always there to ward off any form of attack in that place,” he added.

BY  Kariola Mustapha

The Nigerian Railway Corporation says it will begin full operation of the standard gauge railway service from Lagos to Ibadan on Tuesday.

It also revealed a new schedule for its movement and stops, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The report said the management of NRC through a statement signed by the Lagos District Manager, Mr Jerry Oche, revealed this in Lagos on Sunday.

The Lagos-Ibadan train services would now be available in the mornings from Tuesday, the report said.

Oche was quoted to have said, “The updated time table for Tuesday to Friday is as follows: Lagos to Ibadan: 8:00 am from Mobolaji Johnson Station at Alagomeji Ebute-Meta Lagos. Also the train will take off from Ibadan to Lagos: 8am from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

“The train will take off from Lagos to Ibadan: 4pm from Mobolaji Johnson Station Alagomji, while from Ibadan to Lagos: 4pm from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

“The standard gauge train schedule on Saturday from Lagos to Ibadan: 8:30am from Mobolaji Johnson Station at Alagomeji while the train will leave from Ibadan to Lagos: 8:30am from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

“For Saturday evening from Lagos to Ibadan: 6pm from Mobolaji Johnson Station at Alagomji, while the train will take off from Ibadan to Lagos: 6pm from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.”

He added that Alagomeji, Abeokuta, and Moniya were still the stop stations of the Lagos-Ibadan train services.

BY  Okafor Endurance

With the bold message on its website, “Welcome to the future – you are one flight closer to your dreams and destinations”, Green Africa Airways, a new entrant to the Nigerian aviation sector, is disrupting the airline business with low airfares that start from N16,500, the lowest in the country.

The Lagos-based airline was founded by Babawande Afolabi, an American returnee that holds the record as the youngest airline owner in Africa’s largest economy. The Osun State-born entrepreneur is in his 30s.

The company which is offering the cheapest airfare in Nigeria is coming into the market at a time when the prices of flight tickets have jumped to one of their highest levels. Airlines in Nigeria have continued to increase the price of tickets because of the scarcity of dollar, depleting fleet and the surge in demand for flights amid heightened insecurity in Nigeria’s inter-state roads.

With plans to start its flights from 24 June 2021, Green Africa is offering a 70 percent slash in airfares compared to its peers in the industry. The Lagos-based airline is commencing its operations six years after the day was first established. Founded on 15 June 2015 by Afolabi, who serves as the chief executive officer, Green Africa describes itself as a low-cost carrier as it targets the low-income segment of the Nigerian economy that cannot afford the luxurious but expensive seats on the flights of other carriers.

Originally planned to start its operations in 2019, Green Africa Airways has received the necessary operating licences from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and is said to have placed an order for fifty A220-300s from Airbus while it also committed to leasing an additional three A220-300s aircraft from leasing company, GTLK Europe. The leased aircraft will allow Green Africa to meet its planned launch of commercial operations this June.

Green Africa’s Board of directors consists of industry veterans including Afolabi’s former boss, Tom Horton, former chairman and CEO of American Airlines (Afolabi was a summer associate at American Airlines in 2013); William Shaw, current CEO of Interjet; Virasb Vahidi, former CCO of American Airlines; Wale Adeosun, founder and CEO of Kuramo Capital; and Gbenga Oyebode, founder and chairman of Aluko & Oyebode.

Before founding Green Africa Airways, Afolabi worked in the finance and airline industries. His experience includes investment banking for financial institutions and emerging market clients at Morgan Stanley, as well as corporate strategy at American Airlines.

The Political Science and Economics graduate of the Illinois Wesleyan University (2010), where he served as student body president, is also the founder of Teatime Capital, a venture capital initiative focused on making micro-equity investments to ultra-small Nigerian businesses in often overlooked regions of the country. “Giving people microloans means giving them a shot at life,” Afolabi said. “Small businesses give people the means to send children to school, hopefully raising the literacy rates and lowering crime. It provides a new foundation for society.”

Born in Ile-Ife, Afolabi who holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business (2014) plans to expand the low-fare service offered by Green Africa across the African continent after it kicks off in the most populous country in the region. Having interned with Morgan Stanley on Wall Street, an article published in Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2002-2017 said Afolabi was focused on bringing microloans to Nigeria. Afolabi, according to the magazine, applied for an internship with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), which places minority students with some of the nation’s top companies.

“Of the more than 5,000 students who applied for internships through SEO, Afolabi is one of only 438 students to receive an internship, working this summer for Morgan Stanley on Wall Street,” the article said. The oldest of five children, Afolabi was raised to believe the world can be changed. “My mother is an elementary school teacher, and my father is a financial analyst on a very small scale,” said Afolabi. “They both instilled in me the knowledge that education can make things better. I must learn all I can and build my credentials so the financial institutions in Nigeria will truly understand how this can help. Before people change the world, they have to change themselves.”

Afolabi, whose internship was in investment banking, was one of only 48 sophomores granted an SEO internship in the summer of 2008. The SEO Career Program most often works with college juniors, placing them in seven categories of internships ranging from accounting and corporate law to global corporate finance leadership.

“All of this will help when I return to Nigeria and speak to financial institutions there about creating a microloan program,” Afolabi, whose own father had a business idea that died away because he could not secure a loan for as little as $200, said in 2008. According to Afolabi, his father’s business idea could not flourish because he had no money, no collateral and no connections to make it happen.

“There are so many people like him. I hope microloans can help. I hope they can be a lifeline for my people,” he said.

Afolabi’s plans from his university days to help the most vulnerable segment of the Nigerian economy is coming to life today as he has been able to set up Teatime Capital, a venture capital that is helping to invest in ultra-small businesses in Nigeria. The reason for Afolabi’s decision to establish a low-fare airline is not far-fetched from his plan to provide products that can serve the low-income segment of the economy. With the business model of Green Africa, Afolabi is trying to attempt the ‘Southwest effect’ on air travel in Nigeria. Its first flight is days away, yet the Lagos-based startup budget airline is edging closer to disrupting the Nigerian airspace forever. It has announced its entrance with cheaper airfares for seven routes including Lagos to Abuja, a strategy that looks well suited to a large country where average incomes are low and rising insecurity is increasingly discouraging road travel.

Green Africa’s strategy is not new, at least not on the global scene. It has a similar playbook to the world’s largest low-cost carrier, Southwest Airlines. Southwest, despite being a low-cost carrier, has been able to stay profitable through many decades. It even has an economic term named after it popularly called “the Southwest effect”. Southwest started out with an idea to make air travel accessible for all. While most carriers in the US focused on wealthy travellers, it set out to disrupt the market by giving more people the opportunity to travel by air at a low cost.

Southwest Airlines focused on four main things: a low-cost structure that stayed low due to fast growth, happy employees who liked their jobs and translated that to customers, being future-minded, and differentiated. Green Africa, just like Southwest, is coming into the Nigerian aviation sector with a low-cost structure with fares between N16,500 and N23,000, which is about a 50 to 70 percent slash in average fares charged by other airlines. Although, there have been questions as to whether the prices will remain low.

“I would not say the price they have started with will be permanent, it is an introductory offer but you can be sure that if you pick the first three airlines in the country with the lowest fare in two or three months, Green Africa would be one of them,” Olumide Ohunayo, a member of the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative (ASRTI), said. “They have started with a very low-cost aircraft, they are taking a smaller market that fits the Nigerian market and if they build on that and get good maintenance organizations, continue with the same fleet, get better deals with the manufacturer of such aircraft, the maintenance and cost of operation would go lower, their fares will not increase,” Ohunayo said.

Despite the similarity in low fares, differences such as fleet and routes make Green Africa different from Southwest. Green Africa will use ATR72-600S jetliners, a turboprop, while Southwest operates Boeing 737 jet planes. Turboprops are generally more fuel-efficient than jets whose fuel usage is higher.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has released the timetable for the Lagos Ibadan Train Service (LITS).

The Monday to Friday schedule is effective from Monday, 14th June 2021.

The management said Alagomeji, Agege, Kajola, Olodo, Papalanto, Abeokuta, and Moniya are now the stop stations.

The line-up is as follows: Lagos to Ibadan: 8.00 am from Mobolaji Johnson Station; Ibadan to Lagos: 8.00 am from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

Lagos to Ibadan: 4.00 pm from Mobolaji Johnson Station Alagomeji; Ibadan to Lagos: 4.00 pm from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

Saturday Schedule: Lagos to Ibadan: 8.30 am from Mobolaji Johnson Station at Alagomeji; Ibadan to Lagos: 8.30 am from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

Lagos to Ibadan: 6.00 pm from Mobolaji Johnson Station at Alagomeji; Ibadan to Lagos: 6.00 pm from Obafemi Awolowo Station at Moniya.

Last Thursday, President Buhari Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the Mobolaji Johnson Railway Station in Lagos.

The facility is the start point for the 157km double track Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge

U.S. and Canadian officials are set to meet Tuesday to discuss how to eventually lift pandemic-related border restrictions between the two countries, but no immediate action is expected, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Monday.

U.S. and Canadian business leaders have voiced increasing concern about the ban on non-essential travel at land borders because of COVID-19 that was imposed in March 2020 and has been renewed on a monthly basis since. The measures, which also apply to the U.S.-Mexico border, do not affect trade or other essential travel.

The current restrictions are set to expire June 21, but U.S. and industry officials expect they will be extended again.

Reuters reported on June 8 the Biden administration was forming expert working groups with Canada, Mexico, the European Union and the United Kingdom to determine how best to safely restart travel after 15 months of pandemic restrictions.

A meeting is expected to occur with Mexico later this week and meetings with the United Kingdom and EU are currently set for next week, but the timing could still shift, three people briefed on the meetings said.

U.S. restrictions prevent most non-U.S. citizens who have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil within the last 14 days from traveling to the United States.

Reuters reported previously that U.S. and airline officials do not think U.S. restrictions will be lifted until around July 4 at the earliest.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday he has spoken with U.S. President Joe Biden about how to lift the restrictions, but made clear no breakthrough has been achieved.

Two officials said the working groups are each expected to meet twice a month.

Canada last week took a cautious first step, saying it was prepared to relax quarantine protocols for fully vaccinated citizens returning home starting in early July.

BY  Anmar Frangoul

By Funmi Ogundare

The US Mission Country Consular Coordinator, Ms. Susan Tuller has advised Nigerian students who intend to study in the United States of America not to patronise visa vendors or touts, saying that they often charge high fees and provide incorrect or misleading information to applicants.

Tuller gave the advice at a programme held at the Consulate in Lagos to celebrate Nigerians who have gained admission into US universities. She said despite the COVID-19 pandemic which had impacted consular operations, thereby reducing the overall number of applicants scheduled, the US Mission in Nigeria has continued to prioritise students' visa as over 2,500 applicants have so far been interviewed this year.

According to her, "students' visa appointments would continue to be given priority throughout the summer months, all required information is available at ustraveldocs.com and applying for an expedited appointment is free and even easier than applying for college."

The consular coordinator noted that students can apply up to four months in advance of their programme start date, adding, "as our students here today can tell you, there are few things to remember when coming for a student visa interview here at the US Consulate. Students will need to demonstrate to the consular officer that they are entering the United States solely for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study, that they are prepared for their course of study, that they have a credible plan to pay for their education, and that they intend to depart the United States after the completion of their programme.

"We also strongly discourage visa applicants from hiring visa vendors or touts, as they often charge high fees and provide incorrect or misleading information to applicants."

She said higher education plays a central role in Nigeria-US relationship as Nigeria sends more students to American colleges and universities than any other country in Africa, and is the 11th largest source worldwide of international students to the United States.

Tuller, whose son is also starting university this August in the United States after being dragged around the world by his parents, said the university he would be attending assigned a Nigerian student already at his university to help him acclimatise to the US as it would be his first time of living there.

Some of the students who spoke to journalists about their aspirations, expressed hope that getting educated in the US would exposed them to best practices in their fields and equip them to proffer solutions to some of the problems facing Nigeria after completing their studies.

By Wole Oyebade

At least seven major international carriers are jostling for a pie of the Nigerian market ahead of this year’s summer travels.

The airlines, some of which are making a return to the Nigerian routes since the beginning of the pandemic, have lined up multiple frequencies in and out of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, beginning from July 12.

The Guardian learnt that the trio of Emirates, Lufthansa, and Air France are also angling for a return in July. Aviation stakeholders said holidaymakers and summer travellers may be in for competitive fares from the foreign airlines that are pushing for survival via available traffic across popular routes.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic over a year ago, air travel has been disrupted with grounded airlines recording huge losses. Safety protocols and COVID-19 inoculation appear to be reopening closed borders, but aviation and airlines are far from recovery.

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The latest market statistics released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that traffic is still down by 65.4 per cent, compared to April 2019 figures.

Nevertheless, major carriers are making plans to stimulate demands across routes in Nigeria. With over 210 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the world’s seventh largest. The market reached about 12 million yearly traffic in the pre-pandemic era, out of which five million are international travellers.

Findings showed that about 11 international routes are already bookable for travels beginning from July 12, on airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Delta, British Airways, Virgin Atlanta and KLM.

A larger share of the traffic is expected from Lagos, Africa’s largest city, which has nearly nine in 10 or 86 per cent of the country’s international seats.

Nigerian flag carrier, Air Peace, is also warming up for the Lagos-Johannesburg route. The airline, however, kept sealed lips on its Dubai services.

Emirates may be Nigeria’s largest long-haul airline in the summer week. Before its diplomatic row with the Nigerian authorities over additional COVID-19 tests for travellers, the airline operated 14-weekly departures services with the B777-300ER.

The fall-out and “temporary” withdrawal about three months ago has left several Nigerian travellers with minimal options in connecting flights, as much as it has also cost the airlines in revenue.

Dubai-based Emirates airline this week posted a $5.5 billion annual loss, its first in more than three decades, after the coronavirus pandemic devastated the aviation industry. The carrier said it received a capital injection of $3.1 billion from its owner, the government of Dubai, to help it survive the crisis.

The Emirates group was “hit hard by the drop in demand for international air travel as countries closed their borders and imposed stringent travel restrictions”, said chairman and chief executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Emirates is, however, planning seven-weekly flights out of Lagos and Abuja on B777-300ER.Qatar Airways, meanwhile, also has 14-weekly flights, of which three continue from Lagos to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, before returning to Doha via Lagos. Delta, meanwhile, serves the U.S. 12-weekly flights.

Findings show that British Airways shall be operating Lagos-London Heathrow; seven-weekly departures on B777-300ER. Delta has Lagos-Atlanta, seven-weekly on A330-200. Delta also has Lagos-New York JFK, four-times a week on A330-200.

Lufthansa has Lagos-Frankfurt six times a week on A330-300. Also, Port Harcourt-Abuja-Frankfurt; seven-times a week on A330-300.

KLM has Lagos-Amsterdam five-times a week on A330-200/-300 aircraft. Qatar Airways: Lagos-Doha; 11-weekly by the B787-8 (terminating in Lagos). Qatar Airways: Abuja-Lagos-Doha; three-weekly; B787-8 (via Lagos in both directions). Virgin Atlantic: Lagos-Heathrow; seven-weekly; A330-300.

Travel expert and Chairman of the Airline Passenger Joint Committee, Bankole Bernard, said “the rush” for Nigeria traffic was in line with the global boom in passenger traffic demand.

Bernard affirmed that traffic has been improving lately. “The truth is that a lot of people are tired of staying at home and traffic is building across the world. We are excited about the development in Nigeria. It is bound to happen. Europe has just opened to travellers that have been vaccinated. That is the way to go.

“In the days ahead, we should expect more demands and supply from the foreign carriers. The local authorities only need to put processes in place. Let there be opportunities to receive COVID-19 vaccines at the airport. Vaccines are good and it is the way to go for anyone travelling overseas. So, we are happy that traffic is growing,” Bernard said.

BY  Sarah YoungAlistair Smout

• Ryanair is set to launch legal action against govt over travel
• UK says looking at vaccinations and inbound travel
• Airlines want unrestricted travel for vaccinated passengers
• Minister says ruling nothing out on travel reopening
• Policy reviews due later in June

June 16 (Reuters) - Britain is considering easing travel restrictions for double vaccinated people, a move which would placate airlines who are threatening legal action against the government's strict curbs on trips abroad.

Pressure is building in the aviation industry, with airlines desperate for restrictions to be relaxed in time for July and the peak season when they make most of their profits, but Britain sticking to quarantine requirements which deter travel.

Europe's biggest airline Ryanair (RYA.I) is set to file papers on Thursday to launch legal action against Britain over its travel policy. read more

However, Britain has now indicated that a relaxation could be on the cards.

The country's Department for Transport said on Thursday that it was considering how vaccinations could be used for inbound travel. More than half of UK adults have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, putting it far ahead of Europe.

Reports in the Daily Telegraph said that Britain was looking to follow the European Union's move to allow fully vaccinated tourists to avoid COVID-19 tests and quarantine from July. read more

"We have commenced work to consider the role of vaccinations in shaping a different set of health and testing measures for inbound travel," a government spokesperson said on Thursday.

Ryanair, along with British Airways (ICAG.L) and easyJet (EZJ.L) have repeatedly called on the government to allow vaccinated travellers to avoid quarantine, as well as for an easing of restrictions to some lower risk countries.

The chief executive of Ryanair has called the UK's travel policy "a shambles", and such is the airline's frustration that it now wants to sue the government over its "opaque" system for classifying travel destinations as green, amber or red.

Under plans being considered by the government, people who have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be allowed to avoid quarantine on their return from amber list countries, although they will still have to be tested, the Daily Telegraph said.

Asked about the report, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman told Sky News on Thursday that nothing was ruled out in considering how to re-open travel.

"We are trying to move cautiously and progressively in the right direction so I wouldn't write anything off at this point," he said.

Britain allowed international travel to resume last month, but nearly all major destinations like Spain, France, Italy and the United States were left off its safe list, and as amber countries require 10 days of quarantine plus multiple tests.

The safe green list is due to be updated on June 24 and the government said in April it will review its travel policy before the end of June.

Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler

BY  Okechukwu Nnodim

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency on Friday cautioned pilots to be ready to manage severe turbulence as the onset of the rainy season had commenced in many locations across the country.

It said adverse weather activities associated with the onset period included high intensity storm within a short duration of time, high turbulence that may damage properties, among others.

The Director-General, NiMet, Mansur Matazu, said at a press briefing in Abuja that the season would be characterised by electrical charges in the atmosphere that could cause thunderstorms, adding that there would be series of microbursts incidents at ariports.

“Microbursts are mini-thunderstorms that emanate from the cloud because of the low temperature of the cloud,” Matazu stated.

He added, “These microbursts which happen around the airports cause windshear problems and that is why we have an alert system by which we issue alerts to pilots through the Air Traffic Controllers.

“Now, the negative implications of these weather issues include the fact that they cause severe turbulence during descent or at certain flying levels.

“You can also experience clear air turbulence and it happens during the onset period of the rainy season.”

Matazu noted that heavy rains during the season would make the surface of airport runways wet leading to skidding, impaired horizontal visibility as well as affect ground operations.

The NiMet boss stated that his agency had issued out special alerts to airlines and other operators across all airports in Nigeria and would continue to issue same as the rainy season sets in fully.

He stated that the agency had been issuing weather updates to Air Traffic Controllers at intervals of 30 minutes daily and that the updates were relayed to pilots.

“We want pilots to be conscious of precautionary measures and adhere to standard operating procedures to ensure safety in aviation,” he said.

Matazu further enjoined airline operators to take weather information very seriously and urged passengers to exercise patience whenever delays or cancelations were made due to weather concerns.