By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Federal Government on Wednesday announced plans to establish a national carrier to the country by 2022.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika made this known while briefing state House correspondents at the end of the virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by Vice president Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him as quoted by Vanguard, “It is still on top gear; we are coming back to the council; hopefully in the next two weeks to present the memo on the national carrier. We went to the council to approve the outline business case for the carrier; then, the council raised some questions and asked us to go and look at the memo again and bring it back.
“So, once it comes back and the outline business case is approved by council, we will go to the full business case which is now going to the market and establishing the national carrier.
“It is our intention to have the national carrier running in 2021, which is this year; unfortunately, due to COVID-19, which took the greater part of last year, since March last year, activities have almost been impossible.”
The Minister added that Nigeria has a massive market and population to sustain an airline, saying that updates would be provided on the progress of the project after the next presentation to FEC.
