Nigeria will need to have a national carrier with minimal shareholding from the Federal Government to curb the almost $2 billion yearly capital flight through the sector.
The General Secretary of the Society of Licensed Engineers of Nigeria (SLAMEN), Sheri Kyari, stated this at the weekend in Lagos in an interview with The Guardian.
Kyari, who lamented that the country was losing billions of dollars to capital flight yearly, said the trend would not change until the country births a new national carrier.
Kyari, who was an aircraft maintenance engineer with the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, suggested about five per cent of the Federal Government’s shareholding in such a national carrier venture.
He added that having a national carrier would also enhance the execution of the Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) arrangements Nigeria has with various countries.
The expert also said that a national carrier would give Nigeria protection outside the country, and Nigerians on international routes would also relate with it better.
He mentioned some African countries like Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and others with flourishing national carriers, saying Nigeria could take a cue from them.
He said: “If you look at the African trend, countries in Africa, irrespective of their size, are creating carriers. We are not saying that the government should participate, but having a national carrier gives the industry a kind of protection internationally.
“Today, we know that British Airways is not owned by the British Government, but it is like the government has franchised the name, while a group of people picked the name and they are using it. So, a national carrier is important.
“Government can identify with a national carrier. I don’t see anything wrong if the Federal Government today franchises that name and takes a maximum of five per cent shares and allows individuals and institutions to invest in the airline. That is the weapon Nigeria has to talk about aviation outside the country.
“But beyond that, let us be honest with ourselves, for almost four or five decades, Nigeria has been battling loss of capital flight because we don’t have a national carrier. The losses are too much for us to bear in this country,” he said.
He, however, said that many of the industry’s experts kicked against the plan by the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to form a new national carrier because the process lacked transparency, while the motive for the airline remained unclear.
He insisted that if the executions were transparent, most of those who kicked against it would have supported the plan.
Talking about some organisations that may be affected by the planned demolition of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport One (MMIA1), Lagos, Kyari said the government would need to compensate them appropriately.
No fewer than three hangar companies – Domino, Caverton and EAN would be demolished for the reconstruction.
