Engage Air Peace For Expansion Of Nigeria’s Aviation Sector —Deji Adeyanju Begs Tinubu

— Deji Adeyanju

— Bunmi Onakan

Lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju has begged Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to interact the companies of Air Peace for the nation’s nationwide service.

He urged Tinubu to right away disengage the companies of Ethiopian Airlines.

He defined that participating Air Peace would result in financial progress to Nigeria.

In an open letter, the Abuja-based lawyer stated disengaging Ethiopian Air would result in the expansion of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The letter dated July 7, and addressed to Tinubu reads thus:

“As chances are you’ll bear in mind, a number of weeks earlier than former President Muhammadu Buhari exited workplace, Nigerians have been serenaded by information of the bogus institution of Nigeria Air, a scheme conceived and applied by the Muhammadu Bauhari-led authorities.

“However, latest occasions have proven that not solely was the institution of the airline dubiously packaged by the Buhari administration, but additionally the shareholding construction has the probability of impacting negatively on the nation’s nationwide economic system, with very grave penalties for our nation’s well-being.

“Before going into the financial implications, I want to draw your consideration, sir, to the selection of Ethiopian Airlines as the bulk shareholder of Nigeria Air. In an unprecedented method and in opposition to all identified norms throughout main nationwide airways on the earth, the speedy previous administration sanctioned a shareholding construction that noticed Ethiopian Air, one other nation’s nationwide airline taking up 50% of what purports to be a Nigerian nationwide service. An aberration! All over the world, National Carriers are both totally owned or majorly owned by the host international locations.

“The Buhari authorities sanctioned this association regardless of being conscious that there exist home airways, comparable to Air Peace, that not solely has the capability however equally the expertise and worldwide clout to remodel right into a National Airline. Air Peace had at numerous instances in our nation’s historical past, come to the help of the nation by airlifting countrymen and girls from catastrophe or war-torn international locations like Libya, Ukraine, Sudan, South Africa, and so forth. Yet, the Buhari authorities discovered the airline unworthy of being remodeled right into a National Airline.

“The previous authorities’s motion has not solely solid the nation’s home airways in unhealthy gentle earlier than worldwide communities but additionally made the nation weak to international espionage because of this ill-fated and badly packed Nigeria Air which has turned out to be an entire fraud, whereas denying the Country large earnings that might have accrued from tourism had an area airline has been partnered with within the drive to create Nigeria Air. Even extra worrisome is the truth that a number of notable individuals, together with trade specialists, raised objections on very technical {and professional} grounds, to the proposed association, But the Buhari authorities proceeded like a bull in a China store.

“Away from the previous government’s misadventures and waste of taxpayers’ money on a fraudulent partnership with Ethiopian Air, it is germane to stress the importance of Nigeria having a National Carrier being the most populous black Nation on earth, as this will attract Foreign direct investments, improve tourism, diversify our economy away from oil, grow our GDP, and even help our economy with the inflow of much needed foreign currency. It is noteworthy that Ethiopian Air which is currently Africa’s leading airline, recorded a jump of 90% in net profit to 937,000,000 USD during the 2021/2022 financial year, while its total revenue surged by 79% to 5,000,000,000 USD. This is a 90% profit growth despite the worsening global economic crisis, rising fuel costs, and even the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emirate group announced recently in its 2022/2023 financial reports that it made an annual profit of over 3,000,000,000 USD with revenue of over 32,000,000,000 USD which is an 81% increment. In 2022, British Airways generated over 11,000,000,000 Pounds in revenue which was below its 2019 revenue, pre-COVID era. China Eastern Airlines made 8,000,000,000 USD in 2022 while its close rival Air China made 8,362,000,000 USD, a 31.36% decline in its revenue of 2021 which was 12,183,000,000 USD.”

Adeyanju added {that a} nationwide service is essential for Nigeria’s growth and the nation’s progress, as Nigerians are extremely travelled and search inexpensive airways for numerous functions.

“From your insurance policies to date, besides the hurried elimination of gas subsidy, you’ve proven the requisite political will to show across the fortunes of our nation, and I don’t doubt in my thoughts you could revolutionise our aviation sector, thereby making it compete positively with different international aviation giants talked about herein above.

“The first step in restructuring our aviation sector is to nominate an aviation technocrat and never a politician as minister of aviation for our republic. Thereafter, name a gathering of crucial stakeholders within the sector with a view of making a roadmap on how the important thing gamers can accomplice with the federal government in making the sector a job-creating hub, an financial restoration mechanism, and a international trade incomes window for the economic system.

“One of the quickest methods to diversify our economic system is by urgently floating a nationwide service as talked about earlier above that might be partially owned by the Nigerian folks however administered and run by main gamers like Air Peace that already has the capability. Imagine for a second, Mr. President, the potential for having a National Carrier with hundred planes in its fleet totally run by Nigeria and Nigerians flying to each nook of the world and the dignifying delight that comes with it for our Nation and its folks coupled with quite a few financial and social advantages that such an initiative would do to our GDP.

“It is in the light of the foregoing sir, I have decided to write you this open letter, to request that you show special interest in the country’s aviation sector which is capable of turning around our fortunes as a nation, helping diversify our economy, create numerous jobs, place us on the pedestrian as the big brother in the continent and make the country a tourism destination considering all our numerous topographical sites, friendly weather, and historical culture and heritage. I also implore you, your excellency, to immediately reverse the dubious partnership initiated with the Ethiopian Airline.”