The Federal Government has approved the sum of N47 billion for the take off of the controversial national carrier project named Nigeria Air.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, said the money is already in the 2019 budget recently passed by the National Assembly.
The Nigeria Air project was suspended about eight months ago for failing to attract investors.
“President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for the project be provided for in the 2019 Appropriation, which the National Assembly has graciously done,” Sirika said weekend.
In September 2018, the Federal Government announced the suspension of the planned National Carrier, Nigeria Air indefinitely. Sirika had briefed newsmen then on the status of the project. Although he said government took the decision to suspend the procurement of aircraft for Nigeria Air at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Sirika did not give specific reasons for the suspension.
Recently, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the controversial national airline has not seen the light of day because members of the Fedderal Executive Council have disagreed on the modalities for its establishment.
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