Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Nigeria’s political class is already feeling the pinch of the country’s struggling aviation sector, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking during Tuesday’s plenary session, Akpabio revealed that politicians preparing for upcoming campaign trips are finding it increasingly difficult to charter private jets due to severe capacity shortages among domestic operators.
The revelation came during a debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), which called on the President Bola Tinubu administration to enforce and renegotiate the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with China to enable direct flights by Nigerian carriers.
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Highlighting the structural challenges facing domestic aviation, Akpabio noted that the impending December holiday rush will only compound the existing supply deficit.
“Watch December and the confusion. Even the private airlines cannot handle it. Common campaigns, we cannot see even private jets to hire,” Akpabio stated, urging the executive branch to intervene and support domestic operators.
Reflecting on the country’s past aviation capability, the Senate President referenced the defunct Nigeria Airways, which once maintained a fleet of over 30 aircraft capable of handling major international routes and seasonal pilgrimage travel.
He questioned how the national fleet had degraded so significantly over the decades and reiterated the urgent need for a functional national carrier to represent the country globally.
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
