The Nigerian government is no longer interested in pursuing a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines as regards the proposed Nigeria Air project.
This was disclosed by the Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
“The Nigerian government has lost interest in partnering with a foreign airline,” Tasew was quoted to have said, according to Ethiopian Tribune.
Recall that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had pursued the controversial Nigeria Air project, which failed to turn into a reality.
Upon assumption of office, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu halted the Nigeria Airline project indefinitely.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, announced this development during the Ministerial briefing on May 27, commemorating the first year of the Tinubu administration.
Keyamo emphasized that the airline was not truly Nigerian, but rather an effort to pass off a foreign airline as a national carrier.
He criticized the deal with Ethiopian Airlines, saying that the ownership structure of the suspended airline is not beneficial to the country.
The minister added that it would be irresponsible for the Federal Government to allow a foreign entity to monopolize Nigeria’s aviation industry, thereby compromising the growth of local businesses.
Keyamo also described the Nigeria Air project of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as a fraud.
Naija News recalls that the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, is being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering in connection with the botched Nigeria Air project.
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