MAY 26, 2024

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has allowed the Turkish Airlines to commence moving stranded passengers to their various destinations.

LEADERSHIP reports that the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) had picketed the Airlines over allegations of high handedness and maltreatment of its workers, including unjustifiable dismissal and forced resignation of seven workers.

The measure however resulted in passengers being stranded at airports in  Lagos and  Istanbul, Turkey.

However, a press statement issued by the Vice Chairman, 

 Lagos State Council of the NLC, Olabisi Adebayo Idowu, said the intervention of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as well as the Nigerian Police Force and the Airport Command of the Department of State Services, made them stopped picketing the airlines.

Idowu premised the decision of the labour union from further picketing the Turkish Airlines on pure humanitarian ground.

“At the intervention of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as well as the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Services, Airports Command, the Congress has taken the decision to allow the passengers stranded at the 

 Lagos and Istanbul airports who were booked on the flights for 21/05/2024 to be airlifted by Turkish Airlines. This decision is purely on humanitarian grounds.

“The picketing exercise other than as allowed above shall remain firmly in place until all the demands of NLC are fully met,” Idowu said.

Meanwhile, the NCAA has also brokered peace between NUATE and the European carrier that will allow the airline move its Nigeria passengers who have been stranded at the International Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in 

 Lagos following the Union’s picketing of the airline on Tuesday.

Following the NCAA intervention, NUATE has temporarily agreed to shelve further interruption of Turkish Airlines operations in 

 Lagos and Abuja to allow the stranded inbound and outbound passengers to be carried from across the world.

The agreement was reached after a meeting with the representative of the Acting Director General of the NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, who is also the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the agency.

Achimugu had on Wednesday evening after meeting with the Country Manager of Turkish Airlines in Nigeria, promised to meet with the union on Thursday to resolve the impasse.

The meeting had representatives of NUATE led by its General Secretary, Comrade Ochema Aba, the 

 Lagos Regional Manager of NCAA, Mrs Bukola Teriba, among others.

MAY 27, 2024

The Federal Government has said that the United Arab Emirates, UAE, visa ban on Nigerians has been resolved, and an announcement will be made soon.

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, made this known on Wednesday in a statement released in response to criticism by Osita Chidoka, a former aviation minister.

Keyamo stressed that the announcement of the UAE lifting its visa ban on Nigerians is imminent.

Chidoka, Wednesday, had criticised the announcement of Emirates Airlines’ resumption in Nigeria’s aviation market.

He said the Federal Government must not allow Emirates Airlines to resume operations in Nigeria without being held accountable for their “disrespectful and demeaning conduct”.

However, Keyamo said resolving the diplomatic rift between the two countries is essential because several Nigerians visit the UAE and invest there.

Keyamo said, “Who will benefit more? How many Emiratis visit Nigeria as much as Nigerians visit the UAE and invest there?

“Have you bothered to ask about lifting the visa ban before issuing your warped statement? For your information, that has been resolved, too, and the announcement is imminent.”

DAILY POST recalls that the Federal Government had made several claims about the UAE lifting the visa ban on Nigerians, which turned out to be inaccurate.

On March 5, the presidency shared a document announcing that the restriction had been lifted. However, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, clarified that the Nigerian and UAE governments did not authorise the document.

Similarly, on September 11, the Federal Government also claimed that the UAE had lifted its visa ban on Nigerians.

MAY 27, 2024

By Princess Etuk

The Federal Government has said that the Nigeria Air remains suspended.

During the ministerial press briefing in Abuja, marking President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo provided updates, confirming that the project remains suspended.

In 2023, the Ministry of Aviation, under Hadi Sirika, former minister, unveiled Nigeria Air three days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The development had elicited concerns among stakeholders nationwide over the ownership arrangement which gave Ethiopian Airlines a 49 per cent equity stake.

The Federal Government had a 5 per cent equity, while a consortium of three Nigerian investors had 46 per cent.

Reacting to the deal in June 2023, the House of Representatives asked the Federal Government to suspend the operations of Nigeria Air, describing it as a fraud.

In August 2023, Keyamo announced that the national carrier project was suspended till further notice.

Keyamo said, “It remains suspended. It was never Air Nigeria. It was not Air Nigeria. That’s the truth. It was only painted Nigeria Air. It was Ethiopian Airlines trying to flag our flag.

“If it is so, why not allow our local plane to fly our flag? So nobody should dispute that it was Nigeria Air.

“Air Nigeria must be indigenous, must be wholly Nigerian, and must be for the full benefits of Nigeria, not that 50 per cent of the profit is for another country.”

Keyamo reiterated that the ownership structure of the suspended airline is not beneficial to the country.

“Nigeria Air must be indigenous, it must be only Nigeria or it must be for the full benefit of Nigeria.

“Not that 60 per cent of the profit is for another country. How does that benefit us? So It remains suspended,” he said.

MAY 27, 2024

Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, has described the controversial Nigeria Air unveiled by the Buhari-led administration as a fraud.

He said the project remains suspended.

He said that the ‘national carrier’ that was supposed to be an indigenous project and one that was supposed to bring hope for Nigerians, was flawed with a lot of secrecy and fraudulent activities.

Keyamo made the declaration on Nigeria Air while fielding questions from journalists during the second day of the Ministerial Sectorial update on Monday, May 27, in Abuja.

He said, “It was never Air Nigeria. It was Ethiopian trying to flag our flag and not Air Nigeria. That is the truth; it was not Nigeria.

“It only printed Air Nigeria. It was an Ethiopian airline trying to fly our flag. If it is so, why not allow our local people to fly our flag? Why bring a foreigner to fly our flag?

“So nobody should deceive you that it is Air Nigeria. Air Nigeria must be indigenous, wholly Nigeria or must be for the full benefit of Nigerians. Not that 60 percent of the profit is given to another country.

“How does that benefit us? It remains suspended. It remains so,” he said.

Speaking further on some of the steps taken so far to boost economic development in the aviation sector, Keyamo highlighted the commencement of cargo flights. He noted that it will enable Nigeria to tap into the $6 trillion global cargo market.

“We have agreed that we’re going to resume cargo flights between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

“This has been suspended for a long time but now cargo flights are back. Guess what? Air cargo trade accounts for 35 percent of the world trade deficit.

MAY 29, 2024

By Princess Etuk

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the Federal government has commenced the construction of a second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

He stated this on Monday in Abuja during the ministerial press briefing to mark President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office.

He emphasised that the project had been mired in controversy and delays since the Obasanjo administration.

“Since the Obasanjo era, it was controversy after controversy. Some efforts started during the last administration, so we have to acknowledge that.

“The necessity of a second runway has long been a critical issue for the nation’s capital. The danger of operating a nation’s capital with just one runway… Imagine foreign heads of state coming to Nigeria and there is a problem with the runway. Where are we going to divert them? Are we going to cancel the conference if they are coming for a conference?

“It is inconceivable that a nation’s capital would be operating on one runway and we have been doing it for many years,” he explained.

He disclosed that the contractors had moved to the site and the construction of the second runway had started.

Meanwhile, Keyamo said that in addition to those developments, the ministry would ensure strict compliance with safety regulations and the continuous upward movement of Nigeria’s rating by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

He added that a significant development in Nigeria’s aviation sector was the resumption of cargo flights between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

“We have agreed that we are going to resume cargo flights between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. This has been suspended for a long time,” he announced.

Highlighting the importance of air cargo trade globally, he noted, “Globally, air cargo trade accounts for 35 per cent of the world trade and, according to the International Air Transport Association, attracts about $6tn annually. We were missing within that sector.

“The resumption of these flights is seen as a first step in a broader strategy to enhance Nigeria’s participation in global air cargo trade.”

According to the minister, he will continue his interaction with various countries of the world that the country could benefit from in terms of resumption of cargo trade with them.

MAY 29, 2024

By Gift Habib

The Federal Government has stepped in to address the recent deportation orders issued against some Nigerian students at Teesside University in the United Kingdom.

A delegation led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Ambassador Christian Okeke, along with leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, will meet with the university’s management to seek a resolution.

This decision follows a virtual meeting chaired by the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and attended by Okeke, the President of the Nigerian Students Union UK, Yemi Soile, and several affected students.

The NiDCOM spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed the planned intervention in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Balogun, during the meeting, the students described their experiences and expressed hope for a favourable outcome.

Dabiri-Erewa urged the students “to remain calm and not to take the law into their own hands.”

She appealed to Teesside University to treat the students fairly and justly.

The issue gained attention after some Nigerian students at Teesside University staged a protest on May 22, 2024.

The protest was in response to directives from the university authorities for the students to leave the UK, citing non-payment of school fees by some students.

MAY 30, 2024

by Femi Akinyemi

A Federal Government delegation will meet with officials of Teesside University in the United Kingdom to address the alleged “unjust deportation order” issued to some Nigerian students in the middle of their studies at the institution.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

It would be recalled that on May 22, some students from Nigeria staged a protest following the directives of the university authorities that they leave the UK on the allegation that some of them defaulted in the payment of their school fees.

NIDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri-Eruwa subsequently met with some of the affected students virtually last Sunday and it was agreed that a Representative of the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, Amb Christian Okeke, will lead a delegation to meet with the university’s management to seek an amicable resolution to the issue.

The NIDCOM boss appealed to the students to remain calm and not take laws into their own hands while appealing to the university to treat them with fairness.

MAY 31, 2024

BERLIN -- Germany saw another big increase in the number of people gaining citizenship last year as large numbers of people from Syria helped push naturalizations up to their highest level since at least 2000, according to official data released Tuesday.

About 200,100 people were granted German citizenship in 2023, the Federal Statistical Office said. That was an increase of about 31,000, or 19%, compared with the previous year.

The increase followed a 28% rise in 2022, which also was fueled by large numbers of Syrians being naturalized as increasing numbers of people who migrated to Germany between 2014 and 2016 fulfilled the requirements for citizenship.

Last year, 75,500 people from Syria were naturalized — the biggest single group, accounting for 38% of the total — the statistics office said. That number was up 56% compared with 2022. They had spent an average 6.8 years in Germany before becoming citizens.

About 10,700 citizens each of Turkey and Iraq became German citizens last year, putting those groups in second place.

The overall number of new citizens was the highest since current records started in 2000 following a change in the law under which people of German ancestry from the former Soviet Union, who arrived in large numbers in the 1990s, were automatically granted citizenship rather than having to apply for it.

Requirements for being granted citizenship include a working knowledge of German and proof of being able to support oneself financially.

Under the law as it was last year, people were in principle required to have lived in Germany for at least eight years, though that didn't apply to spouses and children. The period could be reduced to six years for people who show “special integration accomplishments” such as very good knowledge of the language, professional achievements or civic engagement.

Those rules are being eased under new legislation that will take effect on June 27. People will be eligible for citizenship after five years in Germany, or three in case of “special integration accomplishments." German-born children will automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from eight years now.

Restrictions on holding dual citizenship will also be dropped. In principle, most people from countries other than European Union members and Switzerland have had to give up their previous nationality when they gained German citizenship, though there were some exemptions.

Germany has about 84 million inhabitants.

MAY 31, 2024

Shikhar Gupta, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- Airlines that use in-flight meals provided by SATS Ltd., a Singapore-based airport services company, may start serving passengers more food that has been previously frozen. 

This comes after consumers “couldn’t tell the difference” between meals that had been frozen and food prepared using existing methods, SATS said during a results briefing Thursday. 

Indeed, “technological advancements now allow us to create frozen meals that taste just as good as freshly cooked ones.”

Called “fresh frozen food,” the preparation of these meals differs from existing “cook-chill” methods where food is cooked about 24 hours before serving and blast chilled. New processes and technologies have enabled SATS to serve in-flight food that was frozen well before the current 24-hour window.

The improvement in frozen-food technology means that SATS, which counts Singapore Airlines Ltd. as one of its biggest clients, will be able to provide in-flight meals to faraway carriers without needing to set up fully fledged kitchens at the airports they fly from, the company said.

Airline customers of SATS conducted a blind tasting test in the second half of 2023, said President and CEO Kerry Mok, without identifying the companies.

(Updates to provide additional context.)

MAY 31, 2024

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, yesterday held a meeting with a high-level delegation from Turkish Airlines, insisting that the airline must consistently respect Nigerian passengers. The delegation, led by the airline’s Vice President in Charge of Africa, Hilemet Mesut Turkseven, also included General Manager, Lagos, Lokman Balkan, General Manager, Abuja, Akin Carleal, and the Turkish Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Imdat Karakoc.

During the meeting, the minister addressed concerns about reported instances of disrespect during flight operations, underscoring the importance of maintaining high standards of customer service and dignity for all passengers. The minister flayed the airline’s communication strategy during the union actions, attributing the issues to the attitude of the country manager. He said: “I had to advise your authorities to issue a press statement to calm troubled nerves.”

Keyamo also put forward three key demands to the Turkish Airlines team on aircraft upgrades, requesting an upgrade to the aircrafts used for flights to Nigeria. He further addressed the problem of transit visas causing Nigerians to be stranded in Istanbul, seeking a resolution and support for local caterers. He advised the airline to support local caterers by serving Nigerian cuisine on return journeys. Keyamo, however assured the delegation that there would be no further disruptions to their flight operations, given that the matter is currently before an industrial court.

Deputy Chief of Mission,  Karakoc, assured the minister that he would discuss the issues with the Turkish authorities back home and promised necessary adjustments. He committed to improving the quality of aircrafts used,  stating that the current aircrafts are not specifically directed against Nigeria. “This meeting signifies a positive step towards strengthening the relationship between Turkish Airlines and the Nigerian aviation sector, ensuring better service and mutual respect for all passengers.

“The Turkish Airlines delegation conveyed the regards of their CEO, Bilal Eksi, to the Honourable Minister, expressing gratitude for his intervention during the recent union actions that had disrupted their operations,” a statement said. Vice President Turkseven thanked the minister for his support and reiterated the airline’s commitment to Nigeria, highlighting their 18 years of service since commencing operations in 2006.

He praised Nigerians for their unwavering support and emphasised Turkish Airlines’ dedication to cooperating with the Nigerian government and its agencies to foster further growth in the country.