Sam Adah, Abuja
The Senate has rejected suggestion that the Federal Government should revive the Nigeria Airways as a national carrier insisting on direct flight to the Peoples Republic of China.
The rejection followed deliberation on a motion titled “Enforcing the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) sponsored by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, (Borno North) at plenary on Tuesday.
Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North) had moved as an additional prayer to the motion, the need to complete the Federal Government to have a befitting national carrier by reviving the defunct Nigeria Airways with Senator Sunday Karim (Kogi West) seconding his prayer but when the presiding officer, Senator Godswill Akpabio put the prayer to voice vote, the thunderous shout of ‘Nay’ rented the hallowed chamber.
However, the three prayers sought by the sponsor of the motion were unanimously carried by senators present at plenary.
The Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to negotiate with the Chinese government how to facilitate direct flights from Nigeria to China by airlines operating in the country.
The Senate also urged the Ministry to renegotiate the commercia terms and operational schedules of the existing Nigeria-China Bilateral Air Service Agreement,BASA.
The Red Chamber as well urged the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate diplomatic talks with Chin. regarding business visa facilitation for Nigerian traders and reciprocal slot allocations to China Airports; and
Sponsor of the motion, Sen. Monguno, had earlier noted that the Administration of late former President Muhmmadu Buhari, Nigeria-China signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to establish direct commercial air link and govern flight frequencies;
He also noted that the volume of trade between Nigeria and China reached $18 billion in the first half of 2025 (a 35% increase year-on-year building on a total of $28 billion recorded in 2026;
“Aware that BASA instrument is intended to establish direct scheduled Nigeria China flight that would transform Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja from mere origin/ destination points in to the primary gateway linking west and Central Africa to East Asia;
“Also aware that the population of Nigerians in China is more than 1000,000 people, while that of China in Nigeria is more than 5,000,000 and this has generated the interest of China in Nigeria because it is Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, offering massive markets on African continent;
“Further aware that the benefits of enforcing such Bilateral agreement will reduce drastically travel time and increase supply chain velocity, retention of Foreign Exchange (capital flight reduction), aeronautical revenues for Nigerian gateways, increase commercial SME Growth and Non-oil export expansion, accelerated perishable exports among other benefits;
“Appreciates that the utilization of BASA between Nigeria-China will actualize the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola in facilitating the ease of doing business in Nigeria, enhance, Bilateral and diplomatic relationship create massive employment both direct and indirect jobs and, open up export opportunity;
“Acknowledges that what is urgently required to enforce such a fantastic Air Agreement lies across Executive Policy instrument from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service; and
“Notes that enforcing the BASA instrument between Nigeria China, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the NCAA hold direct regulatory levers by enforcing strict BASA Reciprocity, rationalize sixth- freedom competition, Bilateral code-share mandates, temporary Airport fee waivers, direct Naira settlement window using the existing Bilateral currency Swap framework, by-passing US dollar, among other enforcing mechanism,” the motion further read.
Upon granting of all the prayers sought for in the motion, the Senate mandated the Committees on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to ensure compliance and report to the Senate with 4 weeks.
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