By Precious Orokotan
Mesfin Tasew, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, has disclosed that the Nigerian government is no longer pursuing a partnership with the airline to establish the previously proposed Nigeria Air project.
Tasew made this announcement while in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to a report by the Ethiopian Tribune. Mesfin Tasew was reported to have said, “It seems that the Nigerian government is no longer interested in pursuing a joint venture with a foreign airline for the Nigeria Air project.”
The announcement by Mesfin Tasew comes a mere two months after the Federal Government of Nigeria indefinitely suspended the Nigeria Air project. Recall that on May 27, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo,
during the ministerial briefing marking the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, officially announced the suspension of the Nigeria Air project without specifying a clear timeline for its resumption.
During the ministerial briefing, Festus Keyamo condemned the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, pointing out that the ownership structure of Nigeria Air under the deal would not be in the country’s best interest.
The minister went on to say, “It would be irresponsible for the Federal Government to permit a foreign entity to dominate Nigeria’s aviation industry, potentially hindering the growth of homegrown businesses.
“In the waning days of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, the Ministry of Aviation under Hadi Sirika unveiled the much-publicized Nigeria Air project, which was quickly met with mixed reactions from stakeholders across the country.
One of the major points of contention was the ownership arrangement, which granted a controlling 49 percent equity stake to Ethiopian Airlines, while the Federal Government of Nigeria held a mere 5 percent, and a consortium of three Nigerian investors was allocated 46 percent.