…Budgets N14.7bn in 3yrs
The controversial national carrier, Nigeria Air, may see the light of the day before the current administration winds down, with a new take-off date now set for the first quarter of 2022.
The fresh optimism, it was learnt, is not unconnected with a recent headway in the search for credible technical partners and financial backings of the Federal Government year-on-year.
Indeed, another shot at floating a national carrier, being one of the 2015 electioneering promises of President Muhammadu Buhari, has consistently scaled-up appropriation votes since 2019 to 2022, now summed up to N14.65 billion.
About 40% of the sum (N6.25 billion) has been channelled to working capital, consultancy and transaction advisers’ fees.
Similarly, the grope for technical partners appears to be ending with the Ministry of Aviation and Qatar Airways closing in on a deal, ahead of Turkish Air and Ethiopian Airlines.
Aviation stakeholders, who have been waiting for the project, are divided on its prospects. At stake are questions on its sustainability in the post-Buhari era, its uphill take-off in the pandemic age and official indifference to a transparent process.
While the airline did not exist before or during the pandemic, it was given priority in the N27 billion aviation bailout fund to cushion the devastating effect of the pandemic on businesses.
It has been suggested that groundwork on the proposed national carrier had continued unabated behind the scene. An official, who is privy to the charge, led by Aviation Minister, Capt. Hadi Sirika, said, “Nigeria is most likely to have the new airline by 2022 Q1.
