The current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed his disapproval of the agreement signed by the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari with Ethiopian Airlines regarding the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air.

Keyamo, addressing State House correspondents after the Executive Council meeting on Monday, highlighted that the terms of the agreement were unjust to Nigerian airlines, potentially establishing a monopoly for Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria’s aviation industry. He emphasized the irresponsibility of the federal government in endorsing a deal that grants exclusive control to a foreign entity.

The minister disclosed that reports on the matter have been submitted, and the next steps for the project will be determined by President Bola Tinubu. Keyamo refrained from preempting the president’s decision but clarified that concerns raised by various stakeholders, including the National Assembly, had prompted the suspension of the agreement for a thorough examination of its implications.

Keyamo outlined specific issues with the agreement, pointing out that it granted tax waivers to Ethiopian Airlines for five years, allowing them to compete with local airlines that were burdened with heavy taxes. He questioned, “In the agreement, they also suggested appointing everyone, including top management, exclusively from Ethiopia to operate in Nigeria, and we endorsed this?”