Precious Nwonu, Enugu
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has expressed concern over the difficulty of securing private jets for political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging the Federal Government to consider reviving a national airline.
Akpabio made the remarks during Tuesday’s plenary session while contributing to discussions on challenges in Nigeria’s aviation industry and the difficulties faced by air travellers.
He warned that the pressure on available aircraft could worsen during the December holiday season, noting that political campaign organisers were already struggling to hire private jets.
“Watch December and the confusion. Even the private airlines cannot handle. Common campaigns, we cannot see even private jets to hire,” he said.
The Senate President argued that establishing a national carrier would help strengthen Nigeria’s aviation industry and improve its participation in international air transport.
He called for a motion to be introduced to facilitate the revival of the defunct Nigeria Airways, insisting that the country needed an airline operating under the Nigerian flag.
Akpabio recalled that Nigeria Airways once operated about 40 aircraft, including DC-10 planes used for international routes such as Saudi Arabia.
He questioned how the country had moved from operating such an airline to its present aviation situation.
The Senate President spoke during deliberations on a motion sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, on the need to review and enforce Nigeria’s Bilateral Air Services Agreement with China.
Monguno called for measures to enable Nigerian airlines to operate direct flights to China, arguing that improved air links would reduce travel time, strengthen supply chains and expand trade between the two countries.
He also said direct flights could help reduce foreign exchange spent on international air travel.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, said Nigeria was not maximising the benefits of its relationship with China despite the country’s growing influence in the global economy.
Following the deliberations, the Senate urged the Ministry of Aviation to renegotiate the bilateral agreement to establish direct commercial air connections between Nigeria and China.
