Ethiopian Airlines has disclosed that the Nigerian government has withdrawn from the partnership aimed at establishing the proposed Nigeria Air project.
The announcement was made by the airline’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, during an event in Dubai, UAE, as reported by the Ethiopian Tribune.
“The Nigerian government has lost interest in partnering with a foreign airline,” Tasew stated.
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This development comes shortly after the Federal Government of Nigeria indefinitely suspended the Nigeria Air project, announced by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on May 27.
Keyamo criticized the ownership structure of the airline, emphasizing concerns that it could potentially allow a foreign entity to dominate Nigeria’s aviation industry, thereby hindering local business growth.
The Nigeria Air project was initially unveiled by the Ministry of Aviation in 2023, just days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
It sparked nationwide concerns regarding its ownership arrangement, which allocated a 49% equity stake to Ethiopian Airlines, with the Federal Government holding 5% and a consortium of three Nigerian investors owning 46%.
In response to these concerns, the House of Representatives called for the suspension of the operations in June 2023, citing allegations of fraud.
As Ethiopian Airlines confirms the Nigerian government’s withdrawal from the partnership, the future of the Nigeria Air project remains uncertain amidst ongoing debates and regulatory scrutiny.
Nigeria Air: FG selects Ethiopian Airlines as preferred bidder
Recall that Daily News 24 reported how the federal government had selected Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Consortium as the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air.
The minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika made this known during a media briefing on Friday in Abuja
According to him, ET scored 89 percent out of 100 as regards the technical bid and 15 out of 20 as regards the financial bid.
Sirika explained that the Request for Proposal (RFP) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, governed by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), regarding Nigeria Air is now complete.
