Ethiopian Airlines says Nigeria no longer interested in airline venture

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that the Nigerian government is no longer interested in partnering in establishing the proposed Nigeria Air project.

The Airlines’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, made this known over the weekend in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, according to Ethiopian Tribune, a major Ethiopian media outlet.

“The Nigerian government has lost interest in partnering with a foreign airline,” Tasew was quoted as saying.

This announcement by Ethiopian Airlines comes barely two months after the Federal Government indefinitely suspended the Nigeria Air project.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had on May 27, announced the indefinite suspension of the Nigeria Air project during the ministerial briefing marking the first year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Keyamo had previously 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.

In 2023, the Ministry of Aviation, under former Minister Hadi Sirika, unveiled Nigeria Air three days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The development had elicited concerns among stakeholders nationwide over the ownership arrangement which gave Ethiopian Airlines a 49 per cent equity stake.

The Federal Government had a 5 per cent equity, while a consortium of three Nigerian investors had 46 per cent.

Reacting to the deal in June 2023, the House of Representatives asked the Federal Government to suspend the operations of Nigeria Air, describing it as a fraud.