Nigeria's former president Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the failed Nigeria Air (Lagos) joint venture between the previous government of Muhammadu Buhari and an Ethiopian Airlines-led consortium, accusing former aviation minister Hadi Sirika of mismanaging NGN85 billion naira (USD55.2 million) that was meant for the project.
The allegation is contained in Obasanjo's new book, "Nigeria: Past and Future", in which he claims that Sirika chartered an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft bearing Nigeria Air livery and presented it as the national carrier before leaving office. He claims that Sirika deceived the Nigerian public and wasted taxpayers' money on the project, as reported by Nigerian newspapers including Punch, 21st Century Chronicle, and The Comment.
Obasanjo's comments refer to what was described at the time as a ferry flight for Nigeria Air's first of three B737-800s, ET-APL (msn 40965), provided by preferred bidder Ethiopian Airlines for the startup's air operator's certificate (AOC) audit. The aircraft was already painted in Nigeria Air livery when it arrived in Abuja on March 26, 2023. It returned to Addis Ababa on May 27.
The flight was met by a media storm as it happened on the eve of the May 29 inauguration of the new government under current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigeria's private airlines contested the establishment of Nigeria Air in Abuja High Court under the auspices of the Airline Organisation of Nigeria (AON). At the time, the AON secured an interdict that prevented the Buhari government from finalising Nigerian Air's certification.
The proposed Nigeria Air initiative ultimately fell apart with a change of government, with the new administration under Tinubu dismissing the proposed joint venture as a sellout to the Ethiopians.
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Sirika and three others on charges of contract fraud allegedly involving NGN2.8 billion (USD1.8 million).
Still, reports persist that the new government also harbours ambitions for a national airline, albeit under a different name. Ethiopian Airlines has denied plans to revive Nigeria Air.
