Nigeria's minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed his determination to implement during his tenure the long-delayed Fly Nigeria Bill, designed to require government-funded air travel to be conducted using Nigerian airlines, the newspaper Business Day reported.
The bill, which has been in development for more than 15 years, aims to make the use of Nigerian-flagged carriers mandatory for all government-funded air travel, including for personnel, contractors, and grantees.
Speaking at a conference on the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol Implementation in Abuja, Keyamo disclosed that the proposed bill had advanced to the draft stage. He vowed to push for its passing, emphasising the need to revive stalled initiatives that can support the country's aviation industry.
Leadership, another Nigerian newspaper, reported that Keyama was speaking on behalf of Vice-President Kashim Shettima when he revealed that the Nigerian government had ruled out providing bailout funding for domestic airlines but emphasised the importance of creating favourable policies to ensure their long-term survival. This came amid challenges faced by local airlines including the devaluation of the naira and rising aviation fuel prices, which have put significant pressure on the sector.
Keyama emphasised the need for airlines to fully comply with the Cape Town Convention to unlock access to aircraft leases and, in so doing, access to international markets.
