Agbakoba Urges Keyamo To Enact Fly Nigeria Act, Boost Aviation Industry

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has advised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Space Management, Festus Keyamo, to enact the Fly Nigeria Act to strengthen the aviation industry.

Speaking during a media briefing in Lagos yesterday, he lauded the minister for his breakthrough in securing the lucrative Lagos-London route under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) for Air Peace.

He also noted that the absence of aviation cabotage was a fundamental factor contributing to the failure of Nigerian airlines.

Agbakoba further explained that the legislation would ensure that all public funds that require air travel, whether by government or government consultants would be on a Nigerian carrier, adding that it would immediately give Air Peace and other airlines passengers.

He noted that such an Act would strengthen the aviation space, noting that there have been too many failures in the aviation sector.
He recommended the insertion of a corporate governance code into the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Act to strengthen the Act, adding that it is akin to what happens in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to him, “Because we showed the Aviation Minister our long history. We showed him all the letters going back something dating back to 15 years which we gave to the various ministers of aviation. So, he was satisfied and said, you guys have been working hard.

“So, we said to him, if you stay on the course, you will achieve success.

“If the British government refuses to reciprocate the 14 spaces that British Airways (BA) is occupying, not talk about Virgin Atlantic. Then you tell them they won’t come to Nigeria.

“So, when that happened, they grudgingly allowed Air Peace to come to the UK and look at what happened. Look at the space that has opened. Look at how the airfares dropped by 60 per cent.

“So, we are very happy that this has occurred in the aviation industry. But we have told the minister that it must be sustained. Because the British government is doing all it can to frustrate Air Peace. Giving them the worst slots at Gatwick Airport.

“So, there is still an advantage. But if you look at British Airways economy class price it is valued at N3 million, while Air Peace economy class costs N1.2 million. People will prefer to take Air Peace and then they will take a train from Gatwick to Paddington or Gatwick to Victoria Station. So that is competition. So, there is a necessity to keep the competition framework going. The federal government is doing a great job.

“So, it is this structural framework government needs to bring to bear. Government has no business being in business. The last problem with the last minister was he wanted to run the airlines himself. That is not his job?
“The job of the minister is to create the policy environment to enable actors to now play. If Keyamo wanted to do a national carrier now, we would still be where we are.

“But he realised that it wasn’t his role. His role was policy. So, he took the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema by the hand, and landed in London, and said to them, this is the man who we want to give the rights to fly, and he insisted, if you don’t give us that right, then under the principle of reciprocity, we won’t allow you to come, and then there it is.”