The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is pushing to force government officials to always fly Nigerian airlines on international routes, by proposing the adoption of a law that would enforce the plan.
Keyamo made the proposal on Sunday during the ceremonial send-off of Air Peace’s inaugural direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow Airport.
The event, held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was attended by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema.
At the occasion, the minister said the Federal Government would soon introduce a bill tagged the Fly Nigerian Act.
“We are going to bring the bill on the Fly Nigerian Air to him (Benjamin Kalu). He will pass it,” Keyamo said.
He explained that the proposed law would require every government official travelling abroad to use a Nigerian airline on that route.
“The Fly Nigerian Air is to mandate every government official travelling abroad to patronise our local airlines if they are flying that route first, except there is no local airline flying that route,” he added.
Keyamo noted that the idea aligns with global practice, as other nations prioritise their local carriers and emphasised that Nigeria must not be left out in promoting its own carriers.
“We have the Fly American Act. I think we have the Fly India Act. We have these laws all over the world, but we have not implemented them. There is a Fly American Act; go and look at it. But we don’t have the Fly Nigerian Act. We want to bring it here,” he said.
The minister further explained how the law would work in practice.
“If a government official, member of the House of Representatives, member of the Senate, minister, DG, or government official is flying to any part of the world, the first question you ask them is: ‘Is there a Nigerian airline flying that route?’
“You must buy that airline ticket first, except that they are not flying that route. That is the Fly Nigerian Act that we want to do,” Keyamo said.
He assured that the ministry was committed to seeing the law passed.