JULY 24, 2024

By Saawua Terzungwe, Baba Martins & Abbas Jimoh 

Leading opposition parties, some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other prominent Nigerians have rejected the Senate’s bill to repeal the National Identity Management Commission Act, 2017, to make provision for registration of not just Nigerians but all other persons resident in Nigeria.

The Senate passed the bill for a second reading on July 2, 2024, without a serious debate even though it seeks to broaden the eligibility criteria for registration to include those who are not citizens of Nigeria. 

Daily Trust reports that the bill titled, ‘National Identity Management Commission (Repeal and enactment) Bill 2024 (SB. 472),” is sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin (Kano North).

The bill seeks to give persons resident in Nigeria the right to obtain and use National Identification Number (NIN) and utilise it as a recognised form of identification.

It also seeks to replace criminal penalties with administrative enforcement measures to encourage compliance with NIN usage requirements without imposing “undue legal consequences” on individuals.

A copy of the bill obtained by Daily Trust showed that apart from the controversial clause of inclusivity, universal coverage and broadening the eligibility criteria for registration, it also seeks the registration of registrable persons within Nigeria and at licensed centres outside Nigeria. 

Part 1 (2) of the bill which is titled, ‘Application’, in subsection (1) says, “This Act shall apply to registration of registrable persons within Nigeria and at licensed centres outside Nigeria, and the management and operation of the National Identity Database and related matters.” 

Subsection (2) says, “Without prejudice to (1), this Act shall apply whether or not an act qualifying as an offence or contravention of this Act is committed in Nigeria by any person, irrespective of nationality.”

Similarly, Part V1 (17) of the bill titled, ‘Registrable Persons’, says, “Every citizen and resident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be entitled to obtain a National Identification Number by undergoing the process of enrolment in accordance with the provisions of this Act.”  

Part V1 (18) titled, ‘Registration of Registrable Persons’ among other things provides that “The Commission shall take special measures to enrol, and issue National Identity Numbers to such persons who do not have any permanent place of residence and such other categories of individuals as may be specified by regulations.”

It also aims at establishing a National Identity Database and the National Identity Management Commission charged with the responsibilities of maintenance of the National Database, the registration of individuals, and the issuance of identity credentials, among others. 

How it scaled second reading 

Supporting the bill, Senator Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North) said it is aimed at enhancing the NIMC’s regulatory capacity for more effective oversight and regulation of the Nigeria ID System.

The lawmaker said, “The objectives of the bill are as follows: Expanding the scope of registrable persons by broadening the eligibility criteria for registration under the Nigeria ID System to ensure inclusivity and universal coverage.

“This allows all persons resident in Nigeria to obtain a National Identification Number (NIN) and utilise it as a recognised form of identification.

“Streamlining the sharing of personal data by incorporating robust data protection measures to not only safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of individuals’ data but also to foster trust among citizens in the landing of their information.

“Enhancing administrative enforcement powers. The efficiency and effectiveness of the NIMC’s enforcement powers will ensure timely and accurate compliance with ID registration requirements.’’

But opposition parties, CSOs and others who reacted in separate interviews told Daily Trust that the bill sponsored by a senator who is a member of the ruling party (APC) is suspicious, alleging it has a political undertone. 

Move suspicious – PDP

The leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the bill saying it is suspicious and of no economic value, especially at a time Nigerians are going through economic hardship. 

The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Ibrahim, told Daily Trust that there are more important things the National Assembly can do to assuage the economic impasse facing the people than the issue of NIN. 

“The Senate cannot think of people-oriented policies that will alleviate the suffering of the people, instead they are talking about things that are irrelevant at this point in time. 

“Getting everyone including non-Nigerians to get NIN is suspicious. What is the motive? Why are they more concerned about this type of policy and giving it expeditious attention that it will even emanate from the Deputy Senate President? It leaves much to be desired. 

“So as a party and people who are with the ordinary citizens and the voice of opposition, we are not in support; we do not see any sincerity in it,’’ he said.  

It’s a wrong move – LP

Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) said the move by the Senate to amend the NIMC Act to ensure that all persons residing in Nigeria obtain a National Identification Number (NIN) should not be allowed to see the light of the day. 

The Chief Spokesman of the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation in the 2023 general election, Dr Yunusa Tanko, told Daily Trust in a telephone interview that the bill must be thrashed. 

“You cannot register those who are not Nigerians as if they are citizens of Nigeria; that will be wrong. This is an issue of serious concern. That is where it will create controversies. 

“It will be wrong if they are trying to adulterate our database with the identities of non-Nigerians. Are all persons resident in Nigeria, Nigerian citizens? No.”

It has a political undertone – Hon. Mikko

A former member of the House of Representatives and ex-governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Bernard Mikko, told Daily Trust in a telephone chat that the bill has a political undertone. 

Hon. Mikko said, “It is wrong. It should be a resident permit which is temporary; not NIN which is permanent. There should be a clear distinction between a resident and a citizen of Nigeria. 

“A citizen has an obligation and duty of taxation, cultural identity and all that, while residents do not. A citizen can vote and be voted for. Is the bill trying to say that aliens can vote in our country? These are the issues. 

“The issue of universal coverage in the bill, universal being global, which means everybody irrespective of whether you are from Togo, Niger, Cameroon, should be de-emphasised.

“Let them not put any political undertone to rig elections. We have to define who is a Nigerian citizen so that we don’t bring people through our porous borders into Nigeria to come and compromise our already dwindling, collapsing infrastructure for planning.”

It’s a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty – CSOs 

Similarly, some CSOs have rejected the bill. The Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said the move is a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty, adding that the bill is a very sensitive issue that should be handled with utmost caution.

He warned the National Assembly not to hurriedly pass the bill without considering its larger implications. 

“Taking a cue from what is obtainable in advanced countries of the world, Nigerians need to ask the proponents of the bill some critical questions before buying-in into the idea.

“First, does allowing foreigners the right to obtain the National Identification Number automatically confer on them full Nigerian citizenship, according to the proposed bill? If the answer is yes, then, we strongly believe that it is a step in the wrong direction.

“Because, no serious nation affords foreigners the privilege of just picking up its citizenship without going through some rigorous processes of due diligence.

“Second, the government needs to clearly spell out the procedures and requirements for obtaining the NIN by foreigners, and the limits of the rights and benefits accruing to foreigners who hold Nigeria’s National Identification Number.

“Third, before jumping into hasty passage of the law and its implementation, there is need for the government to tidy up its immigration policies, ensure that its land, air and sea borders are adequately policed and ensure that officers of the Nigerian immigration service and other relevant security agencies are fully alive to their responsibilities,” Zikirullahi said.

He said failure to put these measures in place before contemplating such a law will not only constitute a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty, but is a recipe for aggravating the already precarious level of insecurity in the country.

A Senior Communications Officer at Yiaga Africa, Mr Mark Amaza, said, “We don’t believe it necessarily means that it will enable them to vote considering the fact that the constitution is clear on who is qualified to vote in Nigeria. 

“We have the opinion that the law should also be amended to allow other forms of identity to be used to access the polls, not necessarily the voter card, considering how that has been problematic in the election.

“Many citizens have been disenfranchised from voting for lack of having a voter’s card for no fault of theirs. So, it’s also good that as this law is being debated, that this is also kept or put into consideration.”

However, speaking on the development, Mr Tunde Salman, the Team Lead/Convener of Good Governance Team (GGT) Nigeria, said, “I don’t see any problem in it, especially as INEC voters register is not linked to it. 

“Now, with many ongoing initiatives by the President Bola Tinubu administration, such as student loans, consumer credits, and grants that will require background checks, I think there’s a need to think through the proposal to address whatever gaps identified in the existing NIMC legislation.” 

JULY 24, 2024

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace, has directed that no international flight operations should be conducted through non-international airports, TheCable understands.

The directive became necessary because some VIPs fly to non-international airports, thereby escaping the scrutiny of immigration and customs services, an insider told TheCable.

“Many VIPs have devised a way of asking for last-minute permissions to land at local airports, even claiming they have made arrangements for a customs or immigration officer to clear them on arrival,” the source said.

The suspicion is that many of them might be smuggling cash, goods and arms — and possible human beings — into Nigeria away from the prying eyes of security agencies at the officially designated international airports.

“This has been going on for a while and nobody has called them to order. The minister has decided to act decisively,” the insider told TheCable.

A circular to that effect, dated July 17, 2024, has been issued by the directorate of air traffic services of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

S.E. Inegbedion, the deputy general manager who signed the circular, informed all stations of the ministerial directive that starting immediately, no international flight operations should be conducted through non-international airports.

The minister also directed that all international flight operations at general aviation terminals (GAT) and other private terminals at the international airports “must complete clearances/checks at international terminals, except those exempted by the national security adviser (NSA)”.

Inegbedion said compliance was “compulsory” and any violation will attract “appropriate sanctions” — although it is unclear what that might be.

JULY 26, 2024

•NPA records 4.3% dip in ship call 

•Container traffic declines 1.2%

•Gross tonnage increased by 6.9%

By Godwin Oritse

The number of vehicles imported into the country fell sharply by 60.4 per cent, year-on-year, YoY, to 10,991 in the first half of this year, H1’24, reflecting the impact of the naira depreciation and general economic downturn.

This was contained in the report of the just concluded quarterly meeting of the Nigerian Port Consultative Council, NPCC.

The report stated: “Vehicle Traffic shows a total 10,991 units of vehicles was handled during the period under review, indicating a drop of 60.8 per cent from 28,024 units in 2023.”

Following the same trend, the number of ships that called at the nation’s seaports fell by 4.3 per cent, YoY to 251 in H1’24 from 275 in H1’23.

But despite the drop in vessel calls, the Gross Tonnage of ships rose 6.9 per cent to 32.614 million metric tons in H1’24 from 30,504, 276 in H1’23

The report added: “The cargo throughput, excluding crude oil, stood at 21.186 million metric tons against 18.234 million metric tons in 2023 indicating an increase of 16.1 per cent.

“Inward cargo traffic reached 13.563 million metric tons representing a 10.5 of cargo throughput in 2023. Outward cargo traffic was 7.6234 million metric tons, representing 27.7 per cent.

Container traffic for the period under review stood at 398,447 between January and June showing an increase of 2.3 percent from 389,303 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units, TEUs handled in 2023.

“A further analysis of container traffic revealed that import containers accounted for 3.4 per cent with 198,415 TEUs while export container traffic stood at 195,106 TEUs representing a decrease of 1.2 percent of total container traffic.

“A breakdown of export container traffic revealed that empty containers accounted for about 36.3 per cent of total export container traffic. The average turn-around time of vessels was 4.6 days, compared with 5.1 days in 2023. The significant improvement in average turn-around time for vessels was brought about by the impact of the Lekki Deep Sea Port which achieved an average turn-around of only one day.

“The increase in Gross Registered Tonnage, GRT, despite the drop in the number of vessel calls revealed the berthing of bigger vessels, especially at Lekki Port where the average GRT of vessels is 3,801,191. This further gives credibility to the importance of a deep seaport to the Nigerian maritime or port development.

“Therefore, the collective efforts of all stakeholders are required to ensure that Lekki Deep Seaport does not suffer the same fate as Apapa for ease of cargo evacuation.”

JULY 26, 2024

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has said it will raise en-route navigational charges from N2000 and N6,000 to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight just as the airspace agency equally increased the extension of hours of service to airlines from N50,000 to 450,000, representing 800 per cent increase per extension to enable the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period of extension.

Stakeholders say this implies that air fares would rise to reflect the new increase in charges.

Umar Ahmed Farouk, the Managing Director of NAMA,     disclosed on Friday at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC) seminar theme, “Aviation Survivability amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment,” held in Lagos.

Recall that NAMA and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in January held a strategic meeting with some airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to review what has been described as the outdated N16,000 Terminal Enroute Navigational Charges (TNS).

The meeting held in Abuja was called at the instance of the NCAA and NAMA to get the understanding of the airlines on the review of the rate which the airlines admitted needed to be reviewed.#The implication of the action which NAMA took to cushion its high cost of airspace surveillance and security could further lead to astronomical increases in domestic airfares and by extension fares on international routes.He noted that the industry requires very efficient pricing of products and services, stressing that it is a critical lever for enhancing affordability, driving competition, supporting infrastructural development, promoting sustainability, and improving operational efficiency. He however noted that the price for services must reflect the value of these services.

He said, “The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency relies on statutory fees for the management of the airspace (remember that aviation takes place only in the air). These funds are generated from services we provide to the flying community, without these funds NAMA can’t discharge its responsibility of ensuring the safety of our airspace effectively. We majorly generate these funds through the airline companies.”

Farouk further disclosed that for 2023, NAMA had an expenditure of about N21 billion in personnel costs alone, spent over N12 billion in capital costs and over N10 billion in overhead costs, adding that all these were to be (and were) funded from fees (no FGN budgetary allocation).

He said NAMA had been charging as low N11,000 per flight when a one-way domestic ticket cost only N16,000.

He said while ticket prices today have gone up astronomically to as high as between N150,000 to N200,000 for a one-way economy ticket owing to the prevailing economic circumstances, NAMA navigational charges have remained the same since June 2008.

“Currently, our unit rate for international flights charged for service provision is about $70, domestic flights are charged 6,000 Naira. While NAMA recognizes the difficult economic environment aviation operates in Nigeria, it is equally a part of the ecosystem. It goes to the same market to procure equipment and other services like training. If NAMA is to survive and continue to guarantee safety and efficiency in the airspace, it must breathe.

“Even though most costs in the economy have increased by more than 1,000 percent, NAMA has proposed to increase its fees by 800%. The new rates for en-route and terminal navigation charges are to be reviewed from 2,000 and 6,000 Naira to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight. Also, the extension of hours of service is to be reviewed from N50,000 to N450,000 per extension to enable the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period of extension”.

“The largest percentage of NAMA’s revenue comes from en-route navigation charges (domestic and international flights) and terminal navigation charges (domestic and international flights). While international flights pay in US dollars, domestic flights pay in the Nigerian currency.”

The NAMA MD said as a service provider and under ICAO best practices, adding that NAMA does not make a profit.

He stressed that ICAO Doc 9082 recommends cost recovery for service provision to cater for the cost of equipment, personnel, training and other ancillary costs. This is what NAMA tries to do.

JULY 27, 2024

Story by Holly Bancroft

 

The Labour government has used flights scheduled to deport migrants under the Tories’ scrapped Rwanda scheme to return failed asylum seekers to Vietnam and Timor-Leste.

The Home Office has announced that a charter flight took 46 migrants to the Asian countries on Wednesday.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs this week that flight planning for the scrapped Rwanda deportation scheme would be redirected to deport criminals and immigration offenders.

She said: “We have immediately replaced the flight planning for Rwanda with actual flights to return people who have no right to stay to their home countries instead.”

Wednesday’s flight is the UK’s first charter returns flight to Timor-Leste, and the first to Vietnam since 2022, the Home Office said.

Officials said the flight arrived at Timor-Leste at around 9am on Thursday, having stopped in Vietnam. The Home Office described migrants on the deportation flight as “46 criminals and immigration offenders”.

Ms Cooper said: “Today’s flight shows the government is taking quick and decisive action to secure our borders and return those with no right to be here.

“We thank the government of Vietnam and Timor-Leste for their cooperation, without which this could never have happened. Our strong diplomatic bonds with other countries have never been more crucial to our mission to bring order back into the asylum and immigration system, tackling irregular migration, and making sure the rules are properly respected and enforced.”

Earlier this week, Ms Cooper revealed that Rishi Sunak’s government had already spent £700m on the plan to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda and had planned to spend a further £10bn.

Ms Cooper said the amount already spent includes a £290m payment to Rwanda, as well as “chartering flights that never took off, detaining hundreds of people and then releasing them, and paying for more than a thousand civil servants to work on the scheme”.

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly, who had been in charge of the scrapped scheme, accused Ms Cooper of using “made-up numbers” and criticised the government’s “discourtesy” to the Rwandan government.

JULY 27, 2024

BY  Chinedu Eze

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said that the federal government has written to the United Kingdom to allow Nigerian carriers, especially Air Peace to operate to  Heathrow Airport, which is the first tier airport in the country.

Keyamo said that in the principle of reciprocity that Nigeria designates British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways to its first tier airports, which are the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in accordance to Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) signed between the two countries. “So, UK authorities should reciprocate by allowing Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, which is currently operating from Gatwick, to move to the first tier Heathrow Airport.”

Speaking at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) seminar in Lagos yesterday, Keyamo said Nigeria would no longer tolerate a situation where the domestic airlines are not allowed to tier one airports overseas which is in line with the Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

He said failure not to allow Air Peace into Heathrow may lead to Nigeria taking British Airways to a less busy airport in the country.

The minister stated that in the absence of a national carrier, the government would support local airlines and give them whatever they need to survive and succeed.

 “We should have flag carriers which will make us very proud and that will service our reciprocal right and the BASA that we have but they must make sure they raise the global standards and make us proud. We are working and collaborating with Nigerian carriers to ensure that they are supported. We have already written to the United Kingdom to give Nigerian carriers, especially Air Peace, Heathrow Airport, which is a tier one airport, just as we gave British Airways Lagos, our tier one airport. We may as well give BA Ilorin to operate to.

“When we asked for Heathrow Airport, you’re telling us to go to a slot committee. Who does that? Air Peace I can tell you is on its way to Heathrow away from Gatwick,” he said.

He assured that the government would look into so many BASA agreements it has that are not working in the interest of domestic airlines, stressing that domestic airlines need to be supported  and must show capacity to reciprocate many of the agreements. 

“Air France flies to Nigeria and no Nigerian airline is flying to Paris. Lufthansa flies to Nigeria, but no Nigerian airline is flying to Frankfurt. Delta flies to Nigeria but no Nigerian airline flies to the US. South Africa Airways flies to Nigeria and no Nigerian carrier reciprocates. Nigerian carriers are constrained, which is why you have a high mortality rate of airlines in Nigeria. Over 150 Nigerian carriers have been extinct in the last 35 years, which is very disheartening.”

JULY 27, 2024

by Ayodele Oluwafemi

Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff (CDS), says Nigeria’s complex borders and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement are worsening insecurity in the country.

Musa spoke on Friday while delivering a lecture at the Institute for Development Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna.

The lecture was titled: ‘Assessing the Present Security Situation in Northern Nigeria’.

Speaking at the event, the CDS said Nigeria has 364 approved international border points and 1,497 illegal migration points.

“The obligation to abide by the ECOWAS protocol on free movement coupled with the nature of our border management further instigates the challenges to our nation’s security,” the CDS said.

Musa said the situation “has manifested in increased insurgency, terrorism and religious extremism, as well as the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, human and drug trafficking among others”.

He said there is a need to improve the country’s security architecture and border control to effectively monitor illegal migration.

The CDS lamented what he described as the perception of making security the sole business of law enforcement agencies.

“Currently, there is an erroneous perception of security being the responsibility of only the military,” the CDS said.

“This has greatly affected the ability to address security concerns in the north.

“Similarly, some unpatriotic citizens continue to undermine the unity and security of Nigeria.

“Until this is internalised, the security agencies which are significantly less than one percent of the population will struggle to fill the massive gaps in the security architecture.”

JULY 27, 2024

BY  Kehinde OGUNYALE

BETWEEN 2014 and 2024, the value of Nigeria’s passport significantly declined by 13 points, new data from the Henley Passport Index shows. 

The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. 

The recent report highlighted the changes experienced in several countries over the past decade. In 2014, Nigeria was ranked 79th on the Henley Passport Index, while in 2024, the country has slipped to 92nd position.

The decline indicates that Nigerian passport holders now have fewer visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel options, with only 45 countries accessible without a visa or with visa-on-arrival arrangements. 

The implications for Nigerian travellers mean that there would be increased visa requirements, which can affect business travel, tourism, and even family visits and limit the opportunities for Nigerians to engage internationally.

Some destinations Nigerians can still travel to without a visa include Ghana, Benin, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives (visa on arrival), Niger and Togo.

Just like Nigeria, the ranking also showed that countries like Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, Bangladesh and Senegal’s passports ranking also fell in the last decade. 

Venezuela ranked 25th in 2014 and dropped to 42nd in 2024 with access to 124 countries.

For Yemen, its passport, ranked 85th in 2014, plummeted and now stands at the 100th position with access to 33 countries. 

Also, Syria’s ranking fell from 89th in 2014 to 102nd in 2024 with access to 28 countries. This might be connected to the ongoing civil war which had led to increased travel restrictions for its residents.

JULY 27, 2024

Nigeria, along with several other nations, has experienced a significant drop in the Henley Passport Index since 2014.

The Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries based on the travel freedom their citizens enjoy, has seen noticeable shifts in its rankings over the past decade. The latest data from July 2024 highlights the dramatic changes for several countries, including Nigeria.

In 2014, Nigeria was ranked 79th on the Henley Passport Index. Fast forward to 2024, and the country has slipped to the 92nd position.

Read also: Here is what the colour of your passport means

This decline reflects a decrease in the number of countries Nigerian passport holders can visit without a visa or with visa-on-arrival access totalling 45 countries which shows growing travel restrictions and challenges faced by Nigerian travelers.

The decline in Nigeria’s passport ranking has practical implications for Nigerian travellers. Increased visa requirements mean more time, money, and effort must be invested in securing travel documents. This can affect business travel, tourism, and even family visits, limiting the opportunities for Nigerians to engage internationally.

Nigeria is not alone in experiencing a downward trend. Several other countries have also seen significant declines in their passport power over the past decade:

Venezuela

Once ranked 25th in 2014, Venezuela has plummeted to the 42nd position in 2024 with access to 124 countries. The country’s ongoing political and economic turmoil has likely contributed to the increase in travel restrictions for its citizens.

Yemen

Ranked 85th in 2014, Yemen now stands at the 100th position with access to 33 countries. The prolonged conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen have severely impacted its international relations and travel freedoms.

Syria

Another country severely affected by conflict, Syria’s ranking has fallen from 89th in 2014 to 102nd in 2024 with access to 28 countries. The ongoing civil war has led to increased travel restrictions for Syrian nationals.

Bangladesh

Moving from the 86th position in 2014 to the 97th in 2024 with access to 40 countries, Bangladesh has also seen a decline, though less dramatic than some others.

Senegal

Senegal’s passport ranking has dropped from 71st in 2014 to 82nd in 2024 with access to 58 countries. While this decline is less severe, it still reflects a reduction in travel freedom for Senegalese citizens.

Read also: Nigerian passport among 20 least powerful for 10th straight year

Several factors contribute to these shifts in the Henley Passport Index rankings. Political instability, as seen in countries like Venezuela, Yemen, and Syria, often results in increased travel restrictions.

Economic challenges can lead to stricter visa policies from other nations, impacting the travel freedom of citizens from economically struggling countries. The state of diplomatic relations between countries significantly influences visa policies, deteriorating relations can lead to reduced travel freedoms.

Additionally, heightened global security concerns can lead to stricter immigration policies, affecting the ease of travel for citizens from various countries.

JULY 27, 2024

Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said that the Federal Government has written to the United Kingdom to allow Nigerian carriers especially Air Peace operate to at Heathrow Airport.

Speaking at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) seminar in Lagos on Friday, Keyamo said Nigeria would no longer tolerate a situation where the domestic airlines are not allowed to tier-one airports overseas which is in line with the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).

He said failure not to allow Air Peace into Heathrow may lead to Nigeria taking British Airways and other less busy airports.

He stated that in the absence of a national carrier, the government would support local airlines and give them whatever they need to survive and succeed.

“We should have flag carriers who will make us very proud and that will service our reciprocal right and the BASA that we have but they must make sure they raise the global standards and make us proud,” the minister said.

“We are working and collaborating with Nigerian carriers to ensure that they are supported. We have already written to the United Kingdom to give Nigerian carriers, especially Air Peace Heathrow Airport, which is a tier one airport, just as we have British Airways Lagos, our tier one airport. We may as well give BA Ilorin to operate to.”

“When we asked for Heathrow Airport, you’re telling us to go to a slot committee. Who does that? Air Peace I can tell you is on its way to Heathrow away from Gatwick.”

He assured that the government would look into so many agreements it has that are not working in the interest of domestic airlines.

He stressed that domestic airlines need to be supported and must show capacity to reciprocate many of the agreements.

“Air France flies to Nigeria and no Nigerian airline is flying to Paris. Lufthansa, Delta and a host of others but no Nigerian carrier is operating to Frankfurt or the US.

“South African Airline flies to Nigeria and no Nigerian carrier reciprocates. Nigerian carriers are constrained, which is why you have a high mortality rate of airlines in Nigeria. Over 150 Nigerian carriers have been extinct in the last 35 years, which is very disheartening”.