The Federal Government plans to introduce the ‘Fly Nigeria Act’ to the National Assembly, which aims to boost the country’s aviation industry by requiring government officials to prioritise local carriers for official flights.
The initiative was announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, during the ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
He mentioned, “We are currently working on advancing the Fly Nigeria Act to the National Assembly. There exists a Fly America Act, and I think there is a Fly India Act as well. Most major countries have their own ‘Fly Act’ to promote their national airlines.”
The proposed legislation stipulates that all government-funded official trips be conducted using Nigerian airlines.
Keyamo clarified, “An international airline can only be utilized if a local airline is not servicing a specific route.”
Emphasizing the broader economic impacts, Keyamo remarked, “This will be enacted into law.” While we remain unsure of how nationalistic sentiments might influence its acceptance, it stands as a significant policy endeavor on our part.
He emphasized that this initiative is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a $1 trillion economy, with aviation being essential for reaching that objective.
The minister also mentioned that the draft of the Fly Nigeria Act is nearing completion and will soon be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval before submission to the National Assembly.
He added, “Once the Fly Nigeria Act is finalized, we will present it to FEC for approval. After that, we will take it to the National Assembly to ensure that local airlines are given priority on international routes before international airlines.”
The enactment of the Fly Nigeria Act is anticipated to drive increased patronage for local airlines, stimulate growth in the aviation sector, and retain more revenue within Nigeria.
