MARCH 10, 2025

The United States Department of State has confirmed that the recent difficulties faced by Nigerians applying for US visas were caused by a partial systems outage.

Also, interviews will be rescheduled for affected applicants.

Jennifer Johnson, press officer at the Office of Public and Congressional Affairs, Bureau of Consular Affairs, disclosed this information.

Earlier, Nigerians had complained about interviews that had been missed as part of the visa application process.

Johnson responded to these concerns acknowledged that there were indeed technical issues; however the full functionality had been restored.

She reassured that affected applicants, stating that disrupted interviews would be rescheduled.

“The U.S. Department of State experienced a partial systems outage, which has since been restored. All consular operations have resumed as normal. Visa applicants whose interviews must be rescheduled due to the outage will be notified,” she explained.

The US mission in Nigeria had previously transitioned to a new visa appointment system last year.

This change aimed to simplify and make the process of securing visa appointments at the US Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate in Lagos more transparent for Nigerian applicants.

However, the transition phase also came with its own set of challenges for visa applicants, prompting assurances from the US government of enhanced processing systems once the new system was fully implemented.

The recent outage adds to past disruptions, but with operations restored, affected applicants can expect updates and rescheduled appointments as consular services work to address the backlog efficiently.

MARCH 10, 2025

By Sami Tunji

Nigerians imported fewer passenger motor cars in 2024 as rising inflation and the continued naira depreciation made foreign exchange more expensive, driving up the cost of vehicle imports.

The latest data from the foreign trade report of the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the total value of passenger car imports fell by 14.3 per cent to N1.26tn in 2024 from N1.47tn recorded in 2023.

The decline followed a sharp surge in imports the previous year, when vehicle importation more than doubled compared to 2022.

However, the harsh economic realities of 2024 forced businesses and consumers to cut back on non-essential purchases, with imported cars among the most affected.

Over the past five years, Nigeria’s passenger car imports have fluctuated significantly. In 2020, the country imported N546.79bn worth of vehicles, a figure that increased to N695.40bn in 2021.

However, by 2022, imports declined slightly to N655.69bn before soaring by 124.7 per cent to N1.47tn in 2023. The drop to N1.26tn in 2024 marked a reversal of the previous year’s surge, reflecting the impact of worsening economic conditions.

One of the major factors responsible for the decline was the surge in inflation, which eroded consumers’ purchasing power and made high-value goods, such as vehicles, less affordable.

Nigeria’s inflation rate hit a nearly three-decade high in 2024, reaching 34.8 per cent in December, up from 34.6 per cent in November. Also, the average headline inflation rate for 2024 stood at 33.2 per cent, up from the 24.7 per cent recorded in 2023.

The persistent rise in consumer prices forced many Nigerians to focus on essential expenses, with big-ticket items such as cars taking a back seat. Many prospective buyers either delayed purchases or opted for second-hand vehicles as the cost of brand-new and imported used cars became prohibitive.

At the same time, the depreciation of the naira further compounded the challenges in the auto market. The official exchange rate between the naira and the United States dollar ended in 2024 at N1,535/$, according to an analysis of data from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

This was a 40.9 per cent depreciation over the year when compared to the official rate at the close of 2023, which stood at N907.11/$. In the parallel market, the naira depreciated by 26.8 per cent, trading at N1,660/$1 from N1,215/$1 at the close of 2023.

The World Bank listed the naira among the worst-performing currencies in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024. The depreciation of the naira is attributed to several factors, including surging demand for United States dollars in the parallel market, limited dollar inflows, and delays in foreign exchange disbursements by Nigeria’s central bank.

The World Bank’s report further highlights that demand for dollars, driven by financial institutions, non-financial end-users, and money managers, has exacerbated the pressure on the naira.

The significant depreciation comes amid the CBN’s introduction of several foreign exchange policies aimed at enhancing market transparency and attracting foreign investors.

The steep drop in the value of the naira made foreign exchange significantly more expensive, pushing up the cost of imported vehicles and discouraging many dealers from bringing in new stock.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Ports & Terminal Multipurpose Limited has blamed high import duty and taxes on used vehicles for the 60 per cent drop in vehicle importation it experienced in the first half of 2024.

The General Manager of PTML, Mr Tunde Keshinro, showed that vehicle importation dropped from 45,000 units of vehicle it received in the first half of 2023 to 18, 000 units received in the corresponding period this year.

PTML is a foremost roll-on-roll-off terminal in Nigeria, handling between 60per cent and 70 per cent of vehicles imported into the country.

Keshinro blamed the imposition of import levies on imported vehicles for the drop, saying, “This unprecedented decline in the volume of used vehicles importation into Nigeria can be located around high import duty and taxes for used vehicles, imposition of import levy on used vehicles, restriction of rebate on ex-factory prices used for assessment of import duty to 10 years whereas the law allows importation of 12-year old vehicles.

“Vehicles above 10 years of age are forced to pay higher import duties, and high exchange rates resulting in excessive-high landing costs above the affordable level for the majority of Nigerians, who depend on private vehicles for private and commercial transportation. These are some of the reasons there was a drop.”

Also, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, in a recent chat with Arise Television, said that vehicle importation dropped by 45 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 due to the forex crisis.

Adeniyi disclosed that the period was critical for Nigerians and businesses in general because of the volatility in the exchange rates.

“It affected car dealers. I mean, we had as much as a 45 per cent decrease in the volume of cars that were brought into Nigeria in that period.

“And they were not the kind of cars that fetched optimum revenue for the customs. Not only cars, but even regular imports were also affected because people could no longer import raw materials as they wanted and the volatility did not allow them to plan for tomorrow,” the CGC stated.

A former PTML Chapter Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Samuel Obey, said, “The reason is because of the fluctuation in the exchange rate. The policy the government brought is the reason for that. The policy is that for example, if you bring a car of 2009, you have to pay the duty of 2015.”

MARCH 11, 2025

Nora Eckert

By Nora Eckert

DETROIT (Reuters) - After Matthew Mitchell heard U.S. President Donald Trump was serious about implementing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, he told his wife it was time to snatch up a car, and fast.

“I was like 'Ok, we’re going this weekend,'" Mitchell said. He raced to a dealership in Walnut Creek, California to land a deal on a 2019 Toyota Camry in early March to avoid any tariff-related price hikes.

Mitchell is part of a group of buyers who say they expedited their car shopping out of concern that Trump's tariff threats would result in showroom sticker shock.

Right now, the levies are not affecting dealer lots, which on average have a three-month supply of vehicles. Many U.S. automakers have already gotten two reprieves on tariffs since Trump said they would take effect in early February.

But the uncertainty spurred people to react.

Between February 16 and 22, searches on car-shopping website Cars.com jumped 9% from the previous week, said David Greene, a Cars.com analyst.

"When the announcement of the tariffs first occurred in early February, it didn't register with car shoppers right away. But when the conversation turned to tariffs on all imports and the new auto tariffs were pushed to April, searches on Cars.com really started to climb," Greene said.

Last week, a Reuters poll of 74 economists showed risks to the Mexican, Canadian and American economies are piling up due to the unpredictability of U.S. tariffs, with rising expectations for both a recession and more inflation. Those concerns have caused consumers to grow more cautious.

Across the border in Calgary, Canada, Darby Madalena dashed off to a nearby dealer to buy a 2025 Subaru Forester about a year ahead of her original plan. “It didn’t make sense to wait anymore,” said Madalena.

Philip Hodge also finalized his purchase for a new Mustang Mach-E electric vehicle, knowing the Ford model was imported from Mexico into the U.S. "I was like, let's just get it done now and not worry about it," he said.

Car dealers say they have enough vehicles in inventory to weather weeks or months of instability. Dealers had an average of 96 days of supply on their lots in February, according to Cox Automotive, a 26% increase from the start of the year.

Some dealers say the short-term uncertainty is a boon as more customers may wander into the showroom.

“People start hearing that tariffs are coming, they'll probably want to come and buy my cars out of stock,” said Dearborn, Michigan Ford dealer Jim Seavitt. He said sales were very strong the week of March 3, but he credits that more to deals he was running, not tariff worries.

Even so, some dealer web pages used the threat of levies as a sales tactic. One Subaru dealership in Connecticut blasted a banner on top of its website: "Final clearance pricing on remaining 2024s - save now before tariffs drive prices up."

Cars have become less affordable since the pandemic, as the average vehicle sales price reached $48,641 in January, according to Cox Automotive, a 30% increase from the average $37,348 price in January 2019.

Some buyers pushed up their purchases last year after Trump was elected, expecting that he would make good on the tariff changes he floated on the campaign trail.

"In early November, we thought 'we should probably get serious about this,'" said Saud Ansari, who lives in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. He finalized the purchase of his 2025 Toyota Sienna from a dealer near Columbus, Ohio, shortly before the inauguration.

Trump delayed the original duties until March, and then added another one-month reprieve for all vehicles compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) rules of origin. But for Ansari, the threat of tariffs and concerns about higher interest rates was enough of a motivation.

"I'm glad to have it out of the way for a few reasons. Number one is the uncertainty ahead," he said.

(Reporting by Nora Eckert; Editing by David Gregorio)

MARCH 11, 2025

By Abdullateef Aliyu

Aviation unions and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are at daggers drawn at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over alleged attacks on airport officials by the customs operatives, Daily Trust can report.

The development is breeding fresh inter-agency rivalry among agencies at the airport.

Daily Trust reports that inter-agency clashes have become a recurring issue between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies operating at the airport.

On Friday, the aviation unions raised concerns over repeated assaults on Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel by NCS operatives, demanding immediate intervention.

In a recent incident, Customs officers allegedly attacked the Director of Aviation Security Services at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), sparking outrage among the workers.

Three unions including the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) have issued a 14-day ultimatum for the redeployment of Controller, Murtala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC) of the customs in charge of Pilgrims, and Cargo Terminal (PCT), alongside all officers involved.

The unions, in a joint statement also called on the federal government to redefine Customs’ roles within bonded warehouses in civil aviation, saying there was the need for alignment with global standards.

Additionally, they demanded a reduction in the number of Customs personnel at airports in line with international best practices.

They also urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with paramilitary agencies, saying this would clarify operational scopes and prevent future conflicts.

The unions warned of potential industrial unrest if their demands are not met within the stipulated time frame.

But the Nigeria Customs Service in its reaction through the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada said “A miscommunication regarding equipment movement and seating arrangements resulted in a disagreement between officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and officers of the NCS.”

It however stated that the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) are Customs licensed Customs Bonded Warehouses.

The NCS stated, “While the Service continues to engage constructively with all relevant stakeholders to strengthen operational protocols and to uphold the collective national interest, it is essential to reiterate that the NAHCO and SAHCO Import & Export Warehouses are licensed Customs Bonded Warehouses operating in full compliance with Section 122 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. As stipulated in Section 127 of the Act, these warehouses remain under the control of the NCS.”

Aviation security analyst, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, rtd, called for the intervention of the National Security Council to solve the recurring problem.

He said, “It’s our negligence for not complying with ICAO Annex 17. 3.1.6. Set up a National Aviation Security Committee and not CIVIL Aviation Security Committee. We’ve been talking about this in the last twenty five years but those in the administration of our government prefer their solutions with Multiple Security Agencies without a Unified Command and Control over the government security agencies working in the Airports.”

MARCH 11, 2025

By Abdullateef Aliyu

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has decried the shabby treatment meted out to Nigerian passengers despite paying highest air fares in Africa more than any other country.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, stated this at a meeting with the management team of RwandAir over prolonged/delayed refund allegations levelled against the airline by many Nigerian passengers.

Daily Trust reports that the investigation of RwandAir is the latest in the series of the probe that the NCAA would institute against some African carriers.

Recently, Kenya Airways was in the news over the maltreatment of a Nigerian passenger for which the airline later apologised.

In the case of RwandAir, the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Department summoned its officials over rising complaints of maltreatment of passengers.

Achimugu during the meeting complained of the airline staff’s unprofessionalism, which according to him, was evident in the manner of their approach.

Achimugu said, “Nigerians are paying a humongous amount of money for travels compared to all other African countries, so they deserve better. We are not unaware of the discourtesy of some of your staff, but it is funny because it is customer relations.

“The etiquette by which some of your staff members relate is horrible. Even the way your staff was speaking in the video is disjointed and not professional, but we will get to that later because we spent a better part of last year advising airlines on professionalism in their customer relations. Your passenger handling needs to improve. Nigerians can’t be paying the kind of fees they are paying and then get treated this way.

“Our job, God knows, is not to regulate you out of business, but passengers are kings in the industry; if they don’t exist, then you and I won’t exist in this industry. I know that the thinking for many airlines is that passengers don’t have too many choices – even if they complain, they will still come back to fly because they need to fly. But the truth is we have seen many great airlines go extinct; maybe they had thought it was not possible. Never think it is not possible.”

MARCH 14, 2025

By Princess Etuk

The Federal Government, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed ongoing efforts to address the high cost of air tickets for both domestic and international travel while also announcing enhancements in airport safety and security.

Keyamo disclosed this in his remarks at the Ministerial Press Briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

Speaking on the issue, he outlined key factors contributing to exorbitant fares, including limited access to affordable aircraft leasing, trapped funds of foreign airlines, and high airport taxes.

Keyamo noted that Nigerian airlines struggle to lease aircraft at competitive rates, forcing them to opt for costly leasing or the outright purchase of aircraft, which ultimately affects ticket prices.

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“We have domestic tickets, and we have international tickets. I talked about domestic tickets and the fact that we don’t have access to lease aircraft at a very cheap cost.

We will only go for the very expensive option of leasing aircraft or buying aircraft. We are addressing that. We will see the results very soon with the Cape Town Convention and the Dublin Conference we are going to. The deals are coming in, so we will see the results then,” he said.

He said efforts were also ongoing between the government and foreign airlines to address the cost of airfares.

Keyamo also exposed how foreign airlines had deliberately inflated ticket prices for Nigerian travelers due to uncertainties over when they would be able to repatriate their earnings.

“We called international airlines and asked what they used to do. They said if you want to buy international tickets, you will see business class Z, grade J, different grades, but it’s all the same. One can be N2m cheaper than the other. Those ones, they opened it for countries they knew that once they sold the ticket, they could get their money immediately. But they now opened only the high fare for Nigerian passengers since the last 3-4 years,” he revealed.

According to him, airlines set high ticket prices for Nigerian passengers because they feared currency depreciation would erode the value of their earnings before they could convert them to dollars.

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“They said because they were taking into account inflationary rates of the money that will be trapped, they don’t know where they will get the money back, so they were building on top of it, inflationary rates, that by the time they want to get the money back, the naira may have collapsed. So instead of selling a ticket for N2m or N3m, they will sell it for 7m. Whereas Ghana will sell it for that price. Ghana is cheaper than Nigeria. This was an issue of policy,” he said.

To reverse the trend, the government is actively engaging with international airlines to ensure that fares for Nigerian passengers reflect the cleared backlog of trapped funds.

“President Bola Tinubu, being very smart on this, cleared that first. And so we called them and said, look, it was recently we called them, you have been enjoying this high price because Nigerians were paying. So by the time we cleared this thing, they were still enjoying the high fares. We said, no, you cannot continue to enjoy it. We have cleared the backlog, so you cannot continue to open up the high tickets only to Nigerian passengers,” Keyamo stated.

He said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is leading discussions with airlines to ensure they adjust their pricing, while also addressing other cost-related issues, including taxation.

“So that discussion is going on now. NCAA is championing that, and I think they held a parliament with them recently on that, with one or two other factors in terms of high taxation. Our airport, they say, is the highest in Africa, their taxes,” he said.

He acknowledged that high government-imposed taxes at Nigerian airports contribute to expensive tickets. However, he clarified that addressing these taxes would require collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.

“Nigerian Airspace Management Authority and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria are looking at them to see what we can do about it. Because it’s not my call. We have to talk to the Minister of Finance to do that. So, don’t look at the Aviation Minister alone. I’m not in charge of revenue. I have no right to say I will reduce revenue. The money is not my money,” he added.

He further noted that airlines factor these high taxes into ticket prices, passing the costs on to passengers.

“The taxes imposed in our airports and navigation routes, they say, is one of the highest in Africa. And the airlines come here, they bill that too because they have to pay. And that trickles down to the passengers. So we will tackle that,” Keyamo noted.

MARCH 14, 2025

BY  Chinedu Eze

Over the years, it has been taken for granted by policy makers and appointed political leaders who manage air transport in Nigeria that Nigerian airlines do not have capacity and therefore will not be encouraged to operate international destinations. 

An industry insider told THISDAY that when the former Minister of Aviation was chiding Nigerian carriers, telling them they do not have capacity and therefore should not even try operating international destinations, “it looked like a curse.”

But some stakeholders in the industry agree that if government wants to encourage Nigerian carriers to operate these international destinations, it could be achieved.

Some years ago, one of the stakeholders, Chris Aligbe lamented that every year, foreign airlines airlift about 4 million passengers from Nigeria; noting that in 2016, the total number of passengers that passed through the nation’s airports were 15. 2 million and about 4.2 million were airlifted by foreign carriers. In the principle of Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) Nigeria signed with other countries, every airline that operates into the country should have a Nigerian airline operating into that airline’s country with the same number of frequencies.

Aligbe noted that in a situation where Nigeria does not have the capacity to provide strong airlines to respond to the number of frequencies, commercial agreement is reached between representatives of both countries whereby the airline that operates to Nigeria should have to pay royalty to the country for the number of frequencies which Nigerian airlines do not reciprocate and this is paid per passenger.

According to him, the exploitation of Nigeria by foreign airlines started after the demise of Nigeria Airways. But the fact that it is not these foreign airlines that should be blamed; “it is us that should be blamed. This is because nobody allows a vacuum; once there is a vacuum something comes to fill it. If you know the huge amount of money that these airlines repatriate every day you will see the need why we need a national carrier.”

However, it has been proven that having a national carrier is not the only way for Nigeria to reciprocate the BASA agreement by having indigenous airlines that would also operate to those countries, which airlines currently operate to Nigeria and even beyond.

The federal government can support Nigerian airlines which are flag carriers to also operate to such destinations. This is a policy that has been adopted by the current government. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has made it clear that Nigerian airlines have to be empowered to take advantage of these bilateral agreements and also benefit from the huge revenue earned by foreign airlines from Nigeria.

At different fora, the minister has made it clear that unlike the past minister of aviation who concentrate on creating opportunities for foreign airlines to fully take charge of Nigeria’s international with diehard belief that Nigerian carriers do not have capacity, this administration believes that domestic carriers must be supported to increase their capacity and take advantage of these international routes.

The minster has taken time to review the BASA deals guided by emerging policies that dovetail with government’s agenda of fair negotiations, ensuring reciprocal rights for both Nigeria and other countries and fostering deeper aviation collaboration. 

The Tinubu administration has vowed to mobilise policies and resources to support local airlines. “And it’s very simple, and we are very unapologetic about this. Why do I say so? In the whole of Africa, I mean check, all the major airlines are either owned by government, subsidized by government or subsidized by government.

“Rwanda Air, South African Airways, Egypt Air, Air Maroc, name them. It is only in Nigeria that you have strong private sector participation, only in Nigeria, in the whole of Africa. 23 vibrant local airlines, incredible.

“And you know it is not a tea party to run an airline, governments must be involved. But the point really is that, if that is the case, when you have strong private sector participation, literally all the routes domestically are set by local airlines and some international routes. If you are Minister of Aviation and you are fighting them, you are not supporting them, what are you Ministering over?”

Few years ago, stakeholders in the aviation industry had called the government to quickly stem the unfavourable condition in which 100 per cent of international flight services were handled by foreign carriers which stifles attempts by Nigerian airlines to reciprocate by flying to their own routes.

The then President of Aviation Roundtable and Safety Initiative and currently President of Sabre Network Africa, Dr. Gabriel Olowo, said Nigeria needed stable legal and regulatory frameworks to grow the industry.

He said in 2015, the Aviation industry supported 254,500 jobs; contributed $940 million (N184.7 billion) to national GDP, noting that of this sum, 49 per cent (i.e. $462 million or N90.8 billion), was a direct output of the aviation sector (via airports, airlines and ground services) while 51 per cent constituted indirect jobs (via the supply chain).

The president also said there was additional job worth $464 million (N91.2 billion) derived from tourism, which raised the overall contribution to $1.4 billion (N275.9 billion).

Olowo said the Nigerian aviation market is however threatened daily by open skies for Africa, which Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), member countries are not honest in implementing, growing competition from other international African carriers, as international airlines focus on Africa and the present economic downturn.

He decried the multiple entry points for foreign airlines, adding that it’s a “disastrous and deliberate annihilation of the domestic market.”

Olowo said a situation where some airlines fly to multiple airports in Nigeria without any Nigerian airline reciprocating is “a negative balance of trade.”

That request made few years ago is being answered by the Tinubu government, spearheaded by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo. 

Keyamo resurrected the Cape Town Convention and increased Nigeria’s rating, pushing the country to the point of reckoning and has made it possible for Nigerian airlines to easily do business with lessors and international financiers. Steadily the Minister is decapitating the old liabilities of distrust and doubt, rebuilding the goodwill of Nigeria and encouraging airlines that have good plans to engage in dry lease of aircraft for local and international operations.

“The environment was not good enough in the past. And I thought that was one of our problems.  The senate committee chairman talked about newer aircraft, access to newer aircraft and all that. Because of our our lack of ability to get our aircraft in, our lack of ability to service our international routes, even our domestic routes too, in a reciprocal manner, Air France comes here, we cannot go to Paris. Lufthansa comes, we cannot go to Germany. Delta comes, we cannot go to the U.S. KLM too, we cannot go to Amsterdam. These are routes that are serviced under our BASAs. And the BASA gives us the reciprocate rights to service those routes too. If you look at all that, and then the high cost of domestic tickets by local airlines, all of this boil down to one problem and we identified the problem: access to financing and dry leasing and we have done a lot towards achieving that,” he said.

MARCH 14, 2025

The federal government on Thursday assured Nigerians of a drop in airfares.

The government also disclosed plans to roll out measures to curb illegal charter operations across the country.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who disclosed this during the third ministerial press briefing said the federal government has lost billions of naira to the illegal charter operations, which date back 40 years.

The minister, while stating the federal government’s commitment to tackle the practice, revealed that the reforms to be unveiled would mandate regulators to publish the names of airlines that are approved to fly, proper documentation and manifest of those on board the chartered flight.

He also said the control tower would not clear any flight for takeoff without proper identification of the crew members and passengers.

He noted that the poor regulation of their operations was partly responsible for relevant authorities to get the identity of some passengers and crew members during crashes.

The minister has also assured that there would be a drop in airfares soon with the signing of the Cape Town Convention and the Dublin Conference the ministry attended earlier in the year.

On the high cost of tickets, he said: “We have domestic tickets and we have international tickets. I talked about domestic tickets and the fact that we don’t have access to lease aircraft at very cheap costs. We only could go for the very expensive option of leasing aircraft or buying aircraft. We are addressing that and we are going to see results very soon with the Cape Town Convention and the Dublin Conference we went to, the deals are coming in, so we’ll see results there. 

“But the international ones, one of the major reasons they used to give is that their monies were trapped in Nigeria. There was a time when we came to office, there were airlines that had a three-year backlog, not just one year, not two years, three-year backlog of funds trapped in Nigeria. We had the Naira in the CBN, that’s the sales of tickets.

“When their agents sell tickets to you in Naira, those Nairas are evacuated and dropped in the CBN. CBN will now get the dollar equivalent and repatriate. That is how it is done, so that the tickets will be sold in Naira. So all of these tickets were sold in Naira for three years plus, four years, but the CBN had no liquidity, no dollar equivalent to send to these foreign airlines. So the funds were trapped. 

“Because of the deft policies of this government on the withdrawal of subsidy and floating of Naira, liquidity began to rise and that’s why I was thanking the president for the unusual attention he paid to aviation. 

One of the first things the president did when liquidity began to rise in the CBN was clearing the backlog of the trapped funds for aviation. $893million, almost a billion dollars, was cleared of trapped funds. And so we called the international airlines, what they used to do was; if you want to buy international tickets, you will see business class Z grade, J grade but it’s all the same. One can be N2m cheaper than the other. Those ones, they open it for countries that they know that once they sell the ticket, they can get their money immediately. But they now open only the high fare for Nigerian passengers since the last three to four years. 

“They said because they were taking into account inflationary rates of the money that will be trapped, they don’t know when they will get the money back. So they were building on top of it, inflationary rates, that by the time they want to get the money back, the Naira may have collapsed. 

“So instead of selling a ticket for N2million, they will sell it for N7m, whereas Ghana will sell it for that price. This was an issue of policy.

“Bola Tinubu being very smart on this, he cleared that first. And so we called recently and they have been enjoying this high price because Nigerians were paying. So by the time we cleared this thing, they were still enjoying the high fares. We said, no, you cannot continue to enjoy it. We have cleared the backlog. So you cannot continue to open up the high tickets only to Nigerian passengers. 

“So, that discussion is going on now and the NCAA is championing that. I think they held a parley with them on that and with one or two other factors in terms of our high taxation; our airports they said is the highest in Africa. 

“So, FAAN, NAMA and the ministry are looking at them to see what we can do about it. Because it’s not my call. We have to talk to the minister of finance. So don’t look at the aviation minister because I’m not in charge of revenue. I have no right to say I will review revenue.

“So I have no right to say the aviation sector, we are cutting down this revenue, cutting that revenue. These were things we met on the ground. So it’s good I just say it out.

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“The taxes imposed in our airports and in our aviation, they said it’s one of the highest in Africa. And the airlines coming in, they figure that in too, because they have to pay and that still goes down to the passengers. So it’s a holistic problem we are looking at and we are going to come to that. But I just want to be honest and frank about that but one major one has been tackled, which is the clearing of the backlog of the foreign trapped funds.

“As part of measures to boost the economy of the country and encourage local operators, the Minister also said plans are ongoing to introduce the FlyNigeria Act initiative.

On the need to curb illegal charter operations, the Minister said: “The issue of the closure of GAT is a recommendation so far by the Task Force and like I said, we may not go that far but we will roll out measures to curb illegal charter or private jets and the activities they engage in and when we roll them out, please, nobody should complain.

“If you are a big man, don’t go to the airport to take a private jet if you don’t see the list of those jets that are licensed to fly and carry passengers because if anything happens to you, we will not be responsible. 

“The control tower will not clear you to fly unless the pilot files in a manifest of those people on that aircraft, whether you are a big man or not. We are rolling out many reforms. They will ground the aircraft until you file a flight plan with the passengers in that aircraft and their ID card because that is what is obtainable in commercial flights. They compare ID cards with your ticket presented, so why can’t we have the same in charted flights or are the big men better than me and you? They must also bring their ID cards.”

On the FlyNigeria initiative, Keyamo said: “The Fly Nigeria Act will mandate the prioritization of Nigerian flag carriers for government-funded travel, a bold move to support local airlines and stimulate economic growth. We have 13 active private airlines in Nigeria and there is need to support local airlines by making policies to support their growth”

The Minister also stated that his diplomatic efforts led to the resumption of the suspended Emirates flights to Nigeria on October 1st, 2024.

He added that his strategic meeting with Emirates Executives facilitated a Codesharing Agreement with local airlines, adding that Emirates has successfully entered into a Codesharing agreement with Air Peace.

He expressed hope that more codesharing agreements will come on board soon.

The Minister while admitting that there were challenges in the sector, highlighted areas he would focus on to surmount the challenges.

He said: “Development of a Master plan for our major airports to transform them into proper hubs and aerotropolis and reviewing the concession process of major airports to ensure it is more transparent to deliver world-class infrastructure. 

“We will support and empower our local operators (as we did with Air Peace) to compete with other international airlines on more international routes and facilitate the acquisition of aircraft under the dry lease agreement. 

“Training and re-training of Aviation Professionals (Accident investigators, Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers) and also address issues relating to flight delays and cancellations.

“We will review our BASA to favour our local operators and the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Centre. We are in an advanced stage of discussions with investors across the world who are willing to do this through PPP. 

“We are also making conscious and gradual efforts towards embracing eco-friendly practices and green technologies in line with ICAO’s long-term Global Aspirational Goal of net-zero carbon emission in the aviation sector.

“We will rehabilitate some airports and airstrips and collaborate with state government to improve State Airports infrastructure”. 

MARCH 15, 2025

By Gilbert Ekugbe

The United States President Donald Trump has stated plans to impose a travel ban on 43 countries.

According to a report on Saturday, Reuters cited an internal memo and officials familiar with the matter.

The memo lists a total of 43 countries divided into three groups: red, orange, and yellow.

Although the list has yet to be approved by the Trump administration, it comprises several African countries, with African economic powerhouses like Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Egypt excluded.

The red group consists of 11 countries- Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Cuba, Bhutan, Venezuela, North Korea, Yemen, and Somalia- whose nationals would be barred from entering the US.

The orange group comprises 10 countries whose visas would be sharply restricted. They include Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Pakistan, Laos, Turkmenistan, Haiti, and Eritrea.

The countries in the last group were given 60 days to address concerns.

The nations on the 22-country yellow list include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.

The New York Times had first reported the list of countries earmarked for the proposed visa ban.

However, a US official told Reuters that there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration, including Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.

The proposal is part of an immigration crackdown that Trump launched at the start of his second term in January.

MARCH 15, 2025

BY Sami Quadri

The Trump administration is weighing a new travel ban affecting dozens of countries, according to a government memo.

The proposal lists 17 countries across two main groups facing either full or partial visa suspensions. Ten countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea, would be subject to a complete visa suspension under the plan.

A second group of five countries could face partial suspensions impacting tourist, student, and certain immigrant visas.

An additional third group, comprising another 20 countries, was also identified for further assessment due to concerns their "vetting and screening information is so deficient," potentially leading to further travel restrictions.

A US official said the proposal is not yet final and could undergo changes before approval by senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The planned restrictions echo President Trump's controversial first-term travel ban targeting travellers from seven majority-Muslim nations.

Trump previewed further immigration restrictions in an October 2023 speech, promising stricter measures against people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, and Somalia, among others, as part of an immigration crackdown launched at the beginning of his second term.

The New York Times first reported details of the countries involved.

Trump initially directed officials to provide recommendations for countries where visas could be partly or fully suspended by identifying nations whose screening processes were inadequate.