Nigeria’s aviation industry is witnessing an emerging development that should concern the Federal Government. Across the country, state governments are increasingly looking towards establishing their own airlines or investing in aviation partnerships to connect their states to other parts of Nigeria.
What should ordinarily be a coordinated national aviation development programme has gradually become a race among states to secure air connectivity for their citizens, businesses and economies.
From Akwa Ibom, which has established Ibom Air, Cally Air for Cross River, Gateway Air for Ogun State, Enugu Air for Edo State and other states pursuing similar initiatives, the growing interest in state-backed airlines reflects a widening gap in national aviation policy and the absence of a formidable Nigerian national carrier.
The question is why individual states should be committing substantial public resources to establishing airlines when Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, should have a strong national airline capable of serving domestic and international markets.
The failure of the Federal Government to provide a credible national carrier has created a vacuum that state governments are now attempting to fill.
Unfortunately, this development also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of these initiatives. Running an airline is an expensive and technically demanding business that requires substantial capital, modern aircraft, professional management, maintenance facilities and the capacity to withstand economic fluctuations.
It is not simply about acquiring aircraft, branding them with state colours and announcing commercial operations.
The responsibility for developing a sustainable national aviation industry cannot be transferred to individual states.
The position of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, that the Federal Government should not establish a national airline but allow private operators to drive the industry, deserves serious reconsideration.
While the argument against government interference in commercial airline management is understandable, it does not adequately address Nigeria’s strategic aviation interests.
The Minister’s approach raises questions about whether sufficient attention is being given to the country’s long-term economic and international aviation ambitions. Government’s responsibility should extend beyond protecting the interests of existing operators to creating an environment in which Nigerian airlines can compete effectively with international carriers.
The reality is that the indigenous private-sector operators that dominate Nigeria’s domestic aviation market are, collectively, yet to demonstrate the financial strength, fleet capacity and international reach required to carry the country’s aviation ambitions.
Many are struggling with aircraft acquisition, foreign exchange exposure, maintenance costs, aviation fuel prices and access to long-term financing. Their survival within the domestic market does not automatically translate into the capacity to compete internationally.
Nigeria therefore cannot simply abandon the national carrier question and expect existing operators, many of whom are financially constrained, to fill the gap.
The consequences are already evident in the country’s international aviation market, where foreign airlines have established a commanding presence.
European, Middle Eastern, East African and North African airlines continue to benefit from Nigeria’s enormous passenger market. Airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, Royal Air Maroc, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and British Airways have developed extensive networks that connect Nigerian passengers to destinations across the world.
Ethiopian Airlines, in particular, has emerged as a major African aviation success story through sustained investment in aircraft, international routes, training and aviation infrastructure.
Nigeria, despite its population and economic potential, has yet to develop an indigenous airline with comparable continental influence.
This is a major national economic concern. Beyond passenger transportation, aviation generates employment, supports tourism, facilitates international trade and contributes to the development of other sectors of the economy.
A country that generates millions of international passengers but lacks sufficiently strong airlines to carry a significant share of them is effectively creating business opportunities for foreign operators.
The situation also undermines Nigeria’s ambition to become a major tourism and investment destination. Without reliable domestic and international air connectivity, the country’s tourism destinations, hospitality industry and business communities cannot fully exploit their potential.
The Federal Government must therefore reconsider its aviation policy and develop a comprehensive national strategy that brings together federal and state governments, private investors and international aviation partners.
Such a strategy should include the establishment of a professionally managed national carrier, with commercial independence, transparent governance and adequate private-sector participation. It should also address aircraft financing, local maintenance capacity, airport infrastructure and the expansion of Nigerian airlines into international markets.
The Federal Government does not necessarily have to repeat the mistakes of the defunct Nigeria Airways. There are international models of successful public-private partnerships and professionally managed national carriers from which Nigeria can learn.
What the country cannot afford is a situation in which every state is left to find its own aviation solution while the national government remains without a clear strategy for building a competitive airline industry.
The growing scramble among states for air connectivity should serve as a wake-up call to the Federal Government and, particularly, the Ministry of Aviation.
Nigeria cannot continue to pride itself on being Africa’s largest population market while allowing foreign airlines to dominate the international carriage of its passengers.
The country needs more than state-owned airlines and a collection of financially challenged private operators. It needs a national aviation champion capable of competing with the established airlines of Europe, the Middle East, East Africa and North Africa.
Until Nigeria addresses this fundamental policy gap, the country risks remaining a major market for other nations’ airlines rather than becoming a serious competitor in the African and global aviation industry.
By Dr. Lucky George