The Senate has formally rejected proposals to revive the contracts associated with the controversial Nigeria Air project, describing the previous arrangements as an unproductive waste of time. However, the upper chamber affirmed that Nigeria must establish a viable national carrier and called on the Federal Government to secure reciprocal direct flight access to China for domestic airlines.
The resolutions were passed following a robust debate on a motion sponsored by Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), concerning the enforcement of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and China.
Senator Akpabio criticized the current operational imbalance between both nations, highlighting how domestic travelers are disadvantaged by existing transit routes.
We are talking about the BASA agreement between Nigeria and China. If it is only Chinese planes that can fly directly to Nigeria and Nigerian planes cannot fly direct to China, Nigerian businessmen going to China have to go through Kenyan Air, Ethiopian Air, all sorts of airlines, but Chinese businessmen fly directly to Nigeria.We have over five million Chinese in Nigeria and we have less than one million Nigerians in China. It is something that we need to rejig to make sure that the BASA is revisited to enable Nigerian airlines to fly directly to China.
Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Key Highlights of the Senate Resolution
- Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that further discussion on reviving the failed Nigeria Air setup awarded under the previous administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika would cease, citing ongoing legal issues and past mismanagement.
- Highlighting past operational capacity compared to current deficits, Senator Akpabio advocated for a functional national fleet:“We used to have a plane in those days carrying people to Saudi Arabia and all that. At the time, Nigerian Airways had about 32 planes on ground, about 40, going from one place to the other. So, how did we get here? Watch December and the confusion. Even the private airlines cannot handle it. Common campaigns, we cannot see even private jets to hire. We should at least be able to urge the federal government to look into that to alleviate the plight of airlines.”
Acknowledging the peak-season travel strain and limited capacity of private operators, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to explore fresh avenues for establishing a genuine national carrier.
Lawmakers demanded an immediate review of air agreements to allow Nigerian airlines to operate direct flights to China, matching the operational access currently enjoyed by Chinese carriers entering Nigeria.
Furthermore, the Senate recommended diplomatic engagements to secure favorable airport slot allocations, streamline business visas for Nigerian traders, and utilize existing bilateral currency swap frameworks to settle transactions in local currency rather than relying heavily on foreign exchange.
Presenting the motion, Senator Monguno highlighted that establishing direct routes between major hubs like Lagos and Abuja to East Asia would shorten travel times, lower supply chain costs, protect foreign exchange reserves and boost non-oil exports.
Supporting the motion, Senate President Akpabio criticized the current operational disparity, noting that while Chinese airlines enjoy direct access to Nigeria, Nigerian passengers are often forced to endure layovers across intermediate foreign hubs.
Following contributions from across party lines, the motion was adopted by a voice vote. The Senate has mandated its Committees on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to monitor compliance with these directives and report back to the plenary within four weeks.
