Ex-Minister Sirika Defends Failed Nigeria Air Project

Former Nigerian aviation minister Hadi Sirika has defended the controversial Nigeria Air initiative, calling it transparent, lawful and aimed at establishing a viable national carrier capable of competing internationally. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on September 2, Sirika rejected claims of fraud tied to the project, which was launched under former President Muhammadu Buhari as a public-private partnership.

Sirika is facing corruption charges alongside family members over alleged mismanagement of NGN2.7 billion (USD1.8 million). He said the airline’s budget was significantly smaller than reported—NGN5 billion (USD3.3 million), with only NGN3 billion (USD2 million) released—and that all expenditures were documented with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission. He urged Nigerians to use the Freedom of Information Act to review the records themselves.

Nigeria Air was to be owned 49 percent by Ethiopian Airlines and Nigerian investors, 46 percent by the Nigerian Sovereign Fund, and 5 percent by the government. However, local carriers under the Airline Operators of Nigeria sued, claiming the bidding process was flawed and harmful to domestic airlines. In August 2024, a Federal High Court in Lagos declared the joint venture null and void, halting the project.

Sirika insisted the airline would have launched successfully but for the court case and stressed that Ethiopian Airlines was chosen through a fair bidding process involving multiple African carriers. Responding to public concerns, he denied personal enrichment or acquiring new properties from the project and revealed he is writing a book detailing his tenure and the Nigeria Air plan.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com