By Deborah Nnamdi
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has urged stronger private sector participation as a driving force for Nigeria’s economic growth.
Keyamo made the call on Sunday in Abuja during the inaugural flight of Air Peace from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to Heathrow Airport, London. The airline also operates a Lagos–London Gatwick route, making it the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct flight services from both Abuja and Lagos to the United Kingdom.
In a statement by his media aide, Tunde Moshood, Keyamo said the private sector remains the engine of economic development and job creation, stressing that no nation can thrive without empowering its local operators.
“If you destroy the private sector in your country, you destroy the country,” the minister said. “Every good economy thrives on the wealth and well-being of the private sector — the greatest employer of labour and the engine of growth. We have done all we can to give our local operators the muscle and leverage for fair competition.”
He noted that for nearly 90 years, foreign airlines had dominated Nigerian routes without local participation despite the country’s Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) granting it similar rights. “Under our BASAs, we had rights too — but no capacity, no access, no slot at Heathrow. Today that changes,” Keyamo added.
The minister credited the success of the Air Peace London service to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to fully support indigenous carriers for sustainability and competitiveness.
He lamented the collapse of over 100 local airlines in the past four decades due to inadequate government backing. “Concord, Belview, Sosoliso, Chanchangi — name them. Many failed because they didn’t get the support they needed,” he said.
Air Peace Chairman, Dr. Allen Onyema, commended Keyamo for his decisive reforms in the aviation sector, particularly the removal of the 4 per cent Free On Board (FOB) Customs import duty on aircraft and parts.
“When the government listens to the yearnings and challenges of the people, this is the result,” Onyema said. “It’s not just about Air Peace — every airline has benefited from what this administration has done for the industry.”
Keyamo led a government delegation on the inaugural flight to London, marking a milestone in Nigeria’s aviation history and signaling renewed confidence in indigenous airline operations.
