The Federal Authorities has proposed the Fly Nigeria Act, a legislative framework designed to revitalise the aviation sector by mandating that each one government-funded journeys prioritise Nigerian flag carriers.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Improvement, Mr. Festus Keyamo, unveiled the Act throughout a stakeholders’ engagement on the proposal on Friday.
Keyamo described the Fly Nigeria Act as a daring initiative to assist the nation’s aviation business, which he known as a “very important pillar of the Nigerian economic system.”
He emphasised the sector’s crucial function in driving {economic} progress, facilitating commerce, and fostering connections inside and past Nigeria’s borders.
The Act’s main focus is to make sure that Nigerian flag carriers are given precedence for all government-funded journey, whether or not home, regional, or worldwide.
“The abstract of the Fly Nigeria Act is that each government-funded journey, whether or not from a ministry or company, should patronise the Nigerian flag service first earlier than any international service,” Keyamo said.
This prioritisation extends to connecting flights as effectively.
Keyamo defined, “If you’re travelling to the US by means of London, and the primary leg of that journey has a Nigerian flag service flying the route, you will need to use the Nigerian service for that leg earlier than connecting to a global service.”
The Minister defined that the Act goals to create demand and market alternatives, even for routes not at present operated by Nigerian carriers. By incentivising the event of such routes, the proposed laws seeks to determine a extra strong and aggressive aviation marketplace for the nation.
Whereas the Fly Nigeria Act stays within the proposal stage, the federal authorities has already taken vital steps to advertise native aviation content material.
In October 2024, a directive was issued mandating all outbound flights from Nigeria, together with international airways, to supply onboard meals from native caterers beginning January 1, 2025.
This initiative enhances the Fly Nigeria Act’s objective of revitalizing the aviation sector, fostering {economic} progress, and creating new alternatives for native companies.
