Business

Sirika: Why we launched Nigeria Air

The immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, says the establishment of Nigeria Air was to rectify the failures of the past in operations of national carriers by the government and the private sector

Sirika stated that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari incorporated Nigeria Air as a private company.

The former minister made this known while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, June 12.

He said: “When we looked at past efforts to drive a national carrier by both the government and private sector, we saw that we need to initiate a different approach that will launch Nigeria into global reckoning.

“The idea was that we should have less of government investment to make it a purely business-driven venture that will work effectively and efficiently and achieve world-class standard.

“We, therefore, invited local and foreign investors with credible records to form part of the proposed national carrier. The shareholders of this airline went through due process before their selection.”

Sirika stated that the display of the plane that heralded the inauguration was a market strategy employed by the shareholders to launch the business in the minds of customers in Nigeria.

He said every business venture has a different strategy for making a lasting impression on the minds of its different target audience, adding that no money was spent in doing that on May 26, 2023.

The former minister said as an expert in the aviation industry, the estimated take-off period of the Nigeria Air would be in the next three or four weeks.

Sirika decried the gullible nature of the public that consumes all stories without subjecting such to strenuous skepticism and caution.

He added: “Nigerians need to have more faith in the government to encourage it carry out development programmes and projects that are beneficial to the populace.

“The general apathy and disbelieve in anything that government does must change.”

The former minister gave an example of an encounter with a Kenyan who chose to have strong belief in government policy even though she did not vote for it during election.

Sirika said: “I asked the lady why she was still driving taxi long after hours and she replied that it was because government had asked everyone to put in an extra one hour in order to improve the economy.

“She said even though she didn’t vote for the party in power, she had to believe them because they are the government in power and will take the right step in the interest of its citizen.”

Nigeria Air has an ownership structure of 49 per cent held by Ethiopian Airlines, 46 per cent by Nigerian private investors, including SAHCO, MRS and other institutional investors, and five per cent by the Federal Government.

The airline was unveiled three days before the end of Buhari’s administration.

The Star