News
Nigeria: Air Peace secures flight permit to London
Despite inconsistent government policies coupled with bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering the smooth operations of indigenous airlines, West Africa’s largest carrier, Air Peace, recently recorded another breakthrough.
This time it is not the expansion of its fleets as has been the case, rather the private carrier made a remarkable entry into the European air space after securing Foreign Carrier Operator Permit, FCOP, to fly to London.
This permit allows airlines from other regions to fly to Europe and Third Country Operator Permit (TCO-UK) that enables airlines to operate to UK.
The airline, founded in 2013 will now operate direct flights with its luxury wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft to these destinations.
While commenting on the milestone, Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, stated that the airline has secured Foreign Carrier Operator Permit, FCOP, which allows airlines from other regions to fly to Europe and Third Country Operator Permit (TCO-UK) that enables airlines to operate to UK.
He said: “We obtained these permits that qualify us to fly to UK. Before you obtain these approvals, they will audit you very well. You have to go through stringent audit, which we passed. We obtained the permit last week.”
The airline also expanded its Asian footprints with the commencement of direct scheduled commercial flights into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The inaugural flight, operated with one of the airline’s B777s, was airborne from Kano last Tuesday, with 231 passengers.
Air Peace, before now, had been operating charter flights to Saudi Arabia, airlifting Muslim pilgrims. But this inaugural flight officially kicked off its scheduled operations into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Onyema, described the entry into Jeddah as ‘another milestone recorded in the annals of Nigeria’s aviation history’, stating that Jeddah is the airline’s sixth international destination in just nine years of launching commercial flight operations.
Our encounters – Onyema
Meanwhile, it would be recalled that in the last three years, the airline has been striving to commence scheduled operations through the route but has been hindered by several challenges ranging from infrastructural gaps, government policies, landing permits among others.
For instance, during the evacuation flights at the peak of the covid pandemic, Air Peace struggled to get a landing permit into Heathrow airport to help Nigerians.
However, after government intervention, the airline got the permit and tickets were sold out within two hours for a 364-seater aircraft with its Boeing triple seven, B777.
In response to the development, Onyema noted that the reason for the immediate sales was a function of pricing dynamics.
According to him, “It is because Air Peace understood the plight of Nigerians and fixed its fare at less than N400, 000, while another airline coming from there was taking about two thousand pounds from Nigeria.
“We charged Nigerians less than six hundred dollars to and fro. We went there and they tried to discourage us. They sent dogs after our aircraft to sniff at our pilots and at the end of the day, they stopped Air Peace from doing its walk-around on its aircraft, something that violates safety.
“The rule of aviation is that when you take off and your aircraft leaves the ground for just two minutes if that plane wants to land, before that plane can take off again, it must do a walk around because anything could have hit the plane in transit.
“We flew six hours into London but we were not allowed to go round our aircraft to know if it has been compromised. Thankfully, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, petitioned the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) over that.”
Activist reacts
In reaction to this, Human right activist, Femi Falana, SAN, called for the immediate suspension of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flight operations into Nigeria.
He stated that the suspension should be lifted only when Air Peace is allowed to also fly on the Lagos-London route in accordance with the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, signed by Nigeria and United Kingdom.
He said: “Air Peace has proven it has the capacity to operate on international routes. The airline currently flies to China, Israel, India and South Africa among others using modern aircraft comparable to those of its foreign competitors.
“If Air Peace is not allowed to fly to London, then British Airways and Virgin Atlantic should be stopped from flying to Nigeria. Air Peace has a fleet of modern long-haul and regional aircraft that can match those of other foreign airlines operating into Nigeria.”
Airline to struggle for relevance — Experts
Meanwhile, stakeholders have commended the airline on its milestone, stressing that Air Peace may struggle if government does not lend support.
According to a former military Commandant at the MMA, Capt. John Ojikutu, this is a good development for Air Peace. Securing this route as a private airline is never easy.
He said: “Air Peace flying to that route without government support will not provide for them the expected benefits. They will pay a lot of money as a private airline on that route.
“It’s sad that we have for too long not taken advantage of the location of Nigeria to be a middle hub for East and South Africa to the US and to some extent, the UK.
“Recently, South Africa Airways and Rwanda Air started planning flights to the US through some west Africa countries. Because we are not taking these advantage, other countries are taking them away from us. Has anyone in the administration of our government and the Agencies been sincere with the reasons for multiple destinations for the foreign airlines in Nigeria?
“All these marketing gaps in our commercial aviation are what the foreign airlines are tapping from us. These are caused by those in the administration of our government and the management of the agencies and I call it Institutional Corruption.
“Many continental and regional airlines are going to come so long we are what we are everyone for his pocket, institutional corruption.”
Also, the Chairman, West Link Airlines, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia, stated that “Nigeria airlines have not been able to get connectivity to that route for a while, and Air Peace securing that route is an achievement.
“We have not been respected as regards to BASA reciprocity. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic get 21 frequencies to Nigeria, and we had none.
“The means that our governments have thrown us under the bus all these while.
“I believe that two things were responsible for the delay in reciprocity. In the case of Air Peace it is possible that they did not get the federal government support to fly that route.
“In Nigeria, we are not growing with the rest of the world. Those in government are not doing the right things. Our problems are too many and we’re not working on getting things right.”
FG yet to pay Air Peace $10m debt
While speaking on other challenges, Onyema lamented that Nigerian airlines cannot obtain dollars even from the CBN, disclosing that Air Peace paid CBN naira to obtain about $14 million dollars for the maintenance of its 15 aircraft at maintenance facilities overseas but that money has not been made available to the airline since the past six months.
He also recalled that the federal government owed Air Peace about $10 million and also owed other Nigerian carriers that operated the Hajj service, noting that these debts impair the operations of the airline and others.
Onyema therefore urged CBN to provide the foreign exchange so that Air Peace could bring back its aircraft that were ferried overseas for maintenance.
“We ferried 15 of our aircraft for maintenance overseas. We needed dollars to pay for the maintenance; so, we paid naira to CBN, which is equivalent of $14 million needed to pay and bring the aircraft back to Nigeria after the checks. We have not received this money. This is money we borrowed at 26 per cent interest rate but six months have passed and we are yet to get this money from CBN. The total debts we are expected to be paid to us from the CBN is $24 million. This is why we said that what we need is conducive environment and Nigerian airlines will blossom. If these monies are made available to us and other airlines, Nigerian carriers will do very well. Nigerian airlines have capacity, what we need is support from our government,” Onyema said.
Nigeria Airlines have capacity
Onyema further stated that contrary to what many in the industry think; Nigerian airlines have capacity, noting that for the first time in years Nigerian airlines are ordering brand new aircraft from the manufacturers.
He stated that Air Peace made firm order of 33 aircraft and purchase right of 17 aircraft, which brings the airline’s total order to 50.
“These include 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 10, firm order of 13 Embraer E195-E2 and purchase right of 17 of the same aircraft type and firm order of five Embraer E175 and delivery of these aircraft would start early next year in addition to the five brand new Embraer E195-E2 already delivered.
“The jobs one small Nigerian airline provides are more than the jobs provided by all foreign airlines in Nigeria, so the federal government should deem it very important supporting Nigerian airlines,” he said.
Seven people have died and seven others sustained injuries in a fatal road crash on the Bida-Kutigi road in Niger State, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed.
The FRSC Niger Sector Commander, Corps Commander Aishatu Sa’adu, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.
Sa’adu said the crash occurred on Sunday afternoon at Shebe village, a few kilometres from Kutigi town.
According to her, the accident involved a Mazda vehicle and a Siena bus travelling along the Bida-Kutigi road.
“Seven people lost their lives, seven others were injured while four were rescued without injuries, bringing the total involved to 18,” she said.
The sector commander said the seven victims who died were confirmed dead at the scene, while the injured victims sustained injuries of varying degrees.
She said the injured were evacuated to Kutigi General Hospital for medical attention, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.
The FRSC official did not immediately disclose the identities of the victims or provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The crash involved a total of 18 people, comprising seven fatalities, seven injured persons and four uninjured survivors.
Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the accident and determine the circumstances that led to the fatal collision.
The presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has described as a “lie” the claim that Nigeria is Africa’s wealthiest country, arguing that the country remains one of the poorest on the continent when measured by per capita income.
Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, stated this during an interview with journalists in Lagos.
He said Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) did not necessarily reflect the living standards of its citizens.
“It is embarrassing that a country that was considered one of the wealthiest in Africa still thinks today that it is the largest economy in Africa. That is not true.
“We are living a lie. It is a nice sound bite, though, to say that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa. No. Nigeria is just one of the poorest when you take per capita income into consideration,” he said.
Duke said productivity remained critical to economic development, noting that several countries Nigerians considered smaller had higher per capita incomes.
On insecurity, the PRP presidential candidate said he preferred not to describe terrorists operating in Nigeria as “Islamic terrorists”, arguing that their activities were not driven by Islam.
He attributed part of the security challenges, particularly in Northern Nigeria, to the collapse of Libya, which he said contributed to the movement of arms into Nigeria through its land borders.
Duke said the government needed short-, medium- and long-term measures to tackle kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.
“Right now, you have got to deal with the security problems as they exist today — kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and all that.
“But even beyond that, those things are consequences of other things. They are consequences of a very poor economy and, of course, the failure to properly manage our borders,” he said.
He also called for measures to improve citizens’ productivity through increased local production and the use of modern technology to strengthen border security.
On the economic development of Northern Nigeria, Duke said that, if elected president, he would restructure mining activities in the region to ensure that local and state governments, as well as host communities, benefited from the sector.
He said the region’s mineral deposits, rather than oil in the Chad Basin, represented a major economic opportunity.
“There must be a structured way of mining. Today, it is artisanal, and the broader community, the border communities, society and the nation itself do not adequately benefit from those resources,” Duke said.
He cited gold deposits in Zamfara State as an example, saying insecurity had affected mining activities in the area.
Duke proposed that each state should be treated as an economic entity, with the Federal Government working with state governments to assess mineral deposits and establish proven reserves capable of attracting investors.
He said mining development should involve a partnership between the Federal and state governments, with revenues shared between both levels of government.
However, Duke stressed that security remained essential to attracting investment into the mining sector.
“Nobody is going to invest if there is no security,” he said, citing the experience of the Niger Delta, where insecurity had contributed to oil companies moving their operations to offshore locations.
This scrutiny follows the revelation that the Federation Account disbursed about N47tn to the three tiers of government in the three years since the removal of petrol subsidy.
This was as the Federal Government, 36 states and 774 local governments shared a cumulative N93.216tn as revenue from the Federation Account between 2017 and 2025, with more than half of the amount distributed in the three years following the economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government in 2023.
These figures were disclosed in a document obtained by our correspondent from the Federal Ministry of Finance on Sunday.
It showed that N47.25tn, representing about 50.7 per cent of the N93.13tn shared during the period, was distributed between 2023 and 2025 alone, highlighting the sharp expansion in revenues following the removal of petrol subsidy, exchange rate reforms and increased revenue mobilisation.
But policy analysts, civil society groups and other critics say the increase in revenue has not translated into a corresponding improvement in the living conditions of Nigerians facing rising living costs, unemployment, poverty and inadequate public services.
In an interview, a policy analyst, Adebayo Abubakar, said the removal of subsidy had increased government revenues but argued that the additional funds had not always translated into spending that reflected the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
“Roads, bridges, drainage and other infrastructure remain important, but some governments appear to favour conspicuous projects while schools, healthcare facilities, water supply and other basic services receive inadequate attention,” he said.
The removal of petrol subsidy and other economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government in 2023 have triggered an unprecedented surge in revenue flowing into the Federation Account, with the 36 states and 774 local government areas receiving significantly higher allocations amid growing questions over how the windfall has translated into improved infrastructure, security and public services.
The sharp increase in Federation Account Allocation Committee payouts has, however, placed state governors under renewed scrutiny, as many Nigerians continue to grapple with high living costs, poor infrastructure and worsening insecurity despite the substantial growth in revenues available to subnational governments.
While some governors have linked higher FAAC receipts to road construction, bridges, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare and other projects, residents in some states said the increased revenue had not resulted in improved public services or reduced economic hardship.
Findings by The PUNCH showed that the Federal Government, states and local governments received about N47tn from the Federation Account in the three years following the reforms, exceeding the amount shared in the preceding six-year period and reigniting the debate over the benefits and consequences of the subsidy removal policy.
FAAC disbursements
The document showed that FAAC distributions rose from N5.64tn in 2017 to N21.90tn in 2025, representing an increase of about 288 per cent over the nine-year period.
Year-by-year, net FAAC stood at N5.64tn in 2017, N7.98tn in 2018, N7.85tn in 2019, N7.11tn in 2020, N8.12tn in 2021 and N9.18tn in 2022. It subsequently rose to N10.09tn in 2023, N15.26tn in 2024 and a record N21.90tn in 2025.
The development highlights the dramatic transformation in Nigeria’s federation revenue following the removal of petrol subsidy, reforms in the foreign exchange market and efforts to improve revenue mobilisation.
It also exposes the limits of measuring Nigeria’s revenue growth in naira terms alone. While the removal of petrol subsidy, foreign exchange reforms and improved revenue mobilisation helped to push FAAC allocations sharply higher, a significant part of the increase reflects the devaluation of the naira.
For instance, Nigeria shared N7.98tn through FAAC in 2018, which, at the Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate at the time, was equivalent to about $26bn. By 2025, the amount shared had risen almost threefold to N21.9tn. However, when converted at the CBN exchange rate for 2025, the allocation was worth only about $14.4bn.
In other words, while FAAC distribution increased by about 174 per cent in naira terms between 2018 and 2025, its dollar value fell by roughly 45 per cent, or about $11.6bn.
The comparison suggests that the apparent surge in federation revenue was driven not only by increased revenue generation and reforms, but also by the weaker naira, which translated dollar-denominated oil and other foreign currency earnings into substantially larger amounts of naira.
The document showed that net FAAC allocations stood at N5.64tn in 2017 and rose to N7.98tn in 2018, representing a 29 per cent increase. However, growth was not sustained in the following two years.
The distributable revenue fell by two per cent to N7.85tn in 2019. It declined further by 10 per cent to N7.11tn in 2020, reflecting the economic disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and developments in the oil market.
The distributable revenue, however, recovered to N8.12tn in 2021 and increased to N9.18tn in 2022. The document put the average annual growth rate for the pre-reform period at eight per cent. But the sharpest increase came after the reforms introduced in 2023.
Net FAAC rose to N10.09tn in 2023, representing a nine per cent increase. It then jumped by 34 per cent to N15.26tn in 2024 and expanded by another 30 per cent to a record N21.90tn in 2025.
This means the average annual growth rate accelerated from eight per cent in the pre-reform period to 24 per cent between 2023 and 2025. In effect, the pace of growth in distributable federation revenue was three times higher in the post-reform period than the average recorded before the reforms.
The figures also showed the extraordinary weight of the last three years in Nigeria’s federation revenue history. Of the N93.13tn shared between 2017 and 2025, the N47.25tn distributed between 2023 and 2025 alone exceeded the combined allocations recorded in several earlier years, meaning that every N2 shared over the nine-year period contained more than N1 distributed after the reforms.
Finance ministry speaks
The Federal Ministry of Finance, in its assessment of the reforms, said states and local governments had received substantially higher allocations, increasing the resources available to subnational governments for salaries, pensions, infrastructure and other public responsibilities.
The ministry said, “States and local governments received significantly higher allocations through the Federation Account, increasing the resources available to meet salaries, pensions, infrastructure and other responsibilities at the subnational level that benefit the people.”
It added that, compared with the monthly run-rate before the removal of petrol subsidy, “states received about N9.17tn in additional allocations from June 2023 to December 2025,” while local governments received about N6.66tn in additional allocations during the same period.
Further analysis of tier-by-tier annual distribution figures for 2022 to 2025 showed that the Federal Government received N1.996tn in 2022, N3.749tn in 2023, N4.570tn in 2024 and N7.024tn in 2025, bringing its four-year allocation to about N17.34tn.
The figures showed that the states emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of the post-reform expansion in FAAC receipts. Their annual allocation jumped from N4.18tn in 2023 to N8.93tn in 2025, more than doubling within two years. In 2024, states received N6.53tn, exceeding the Federal Government’s N4.57tn allocation in the figures contained in the document.
A World Bank analysis similarly identified 2024 as a turning point when state governments received more from FAAC distributable revenues than the Federal Government, reflecting a structural shift in the pattern of federation revenue distribution.
The expansion in FAAC receipts has been linked largely to the fiscal reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration after it assumed office in May 2023.
The reforms included the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange regime, alongside efforts to improve tax collection and revenue remittances.
News
Nwabueze Denies Running ‘Fake Agency’, Says Made-in-Nigeria Project Has Operated Under OSGF for 16 Years
The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, has denied the allegation of running a “fake agency” in the country.
Nwabueze, who spoke with newsmen on Saturday, noted that he oversaw an office which was under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He noted that the office had been in existence for 16 years.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission had on Friday said the President had ordered Nwabueze’s arrest for leading and promoting the outfit, which it tagged as a fake federal agency.
The ICPC said the accused was running it with the collaboration of senior public servants in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
But responding to our correspondent, the embattled executive director said, “Made in Nigeria Special Project Office is a project office in the OSGF. We don’t know where fake agency comes from. A programme that has been in the SGF’s office since 16 July 2010 was just discovered yesterday (Friday). After 16 years; Nigeria is a funny country.”
Nwabueze spoke while responding to our correspondent’s enquiries on LinkedIn, where he had earlier posted his appointment letter to rebuff ICPC’s claim of illegality.
The letter, dated October 3, 2025, was purportedly issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It was referenced OSGF/MIN/59310/11/205 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Nadungu Gagare.
The letter, addressed to “Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze, National Coordinator, Made in Nigeria Project Office, OSGF, Three Arms Zone, Abuja,” conveyed the approval of his appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made in Nigeria Project Office under the OSGF.
According to the document, the appointment was for a five-year tenure beginning from July 2025 and was renewable.
“I am directed to formally convey the approval of your appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made in Nigeria Project Office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” the letter stated.
It added that the appointment followed “a careful evaluation of your commitment, contribution, and capacity in delivering on the mandate of the Special Project Office.”
The document listed Nwabueze’s responsibilities to include the supervision and development of programmes, projects and policies; supervision of regional and state coordinators across the 36 states; and organisation of exhibitions, trade expos, economic summits and other promotional initiatives aimed at promoting indigenous products and services.
It further stated that the project was to operate temporarily from Room B53, Ground Floor, within the OSGF complex.
“Please note that this appointment is at the pleasure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and in line with the objectives of the Made in Nigeria initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the letter said.
Efforts to engage Nwabueze further on the matter proved abortive as he declined response.
Former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, has described Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze as an exceptional man of God whose ministry has made a profound impact on humanity.
In a birthday congratulatory message issued on Saturday, August 22, 2026, Orji paid glowing tribute to the Senior Pastor of Streams of Joy International and Convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD).
“Your faith, selfless service, wisdom and commitment to the work of God continue to inspire countless lives. Your ministry has been a source of hope, guidance and spiritual upliftment to many,” Orji said.
The former Speaker further described Pastor Jerry Eze as a highly revered servant of God who is truly filled with the Holy Spirit, noting that testimonies of miracles, signs and wonders consistently follow the NSPPD prayer sessions.
While wishing the celebrant a happy birthday, Orji prayed that God would continue to increase him in ministry, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and grant him long life in peace and happiness.
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