Nigeria Air: Tinubu’s Delegation Meets With Ethiopian Airlines Management

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a delegation to meet with the top management of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa to discuss trade issues between Nigeria and the airlines.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the President’s attendance at the 37th Session of the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

It would be recalled that the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had put in place an agreement with Ethiopian Airlines over the management of Nigeria Air.

However, despite the many assurances of the past administration and the huge sum of money spent on the project, Nigeria Air didn’t materialize until the government handed over power on May 29, 2023.

After that, there were several revelations and allegations of wrong practices in the deal involving the proposed national carrier.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has slammed the agreement between the immediate-past administration and Ethiopian Airlines over the management of Nigeria Air.

Months after an elaborate ceremony on May 26, 2023, to celebrate the arrival of its first aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, Nigeria Air has remained dormant ever since.

Founded in 2018, Nigeria Air’s ownership stakes are divided among Ethiopian Airlines (49 percent), Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (46 percent), and the Federal Government (5 percent)

Speaking to State House Correspondents back in November 2023 after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rick Villa, Keyamo said President Bola Tinubu will determine the next step for the Nigeria Air Project.