Travel News

By Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos

Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving domestic airline, said it would commence direct flight services from Lagos to Abuja.

Beginning from August 9, 2024, Overland Airways will offer regular daily direct flights between Nigeria’s economic hub Lagos and the administrative capital Abuja, operating over 60 weekly frequencies between the two cities to boost capacity on the route.

This is coming amidst the capacity constraints in the industry, which got worse following the grounding of Arik Air’s fleet.

This new service operating with Overland Airways’ brand new Embraer E-175 jets in a two-class configuration of Premium and Economy cabins will offer travellers unparalleled convenience and comfort.

Executive Director of Overland, Mrs Aduke Atiba, in a statement said: “The introduction of this new route is part of Overland’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for convenient and comfortable air services between Lagos and Abuja, and relieving Nigerians of the difficulties they are experiencing on the route. 

The addition of the Lagos to Abuja return direct service to our expanding route network represents a significant milestone in our journey to serve our valued customers better.”

Overland Airways in June 2024 took delivery of the second of six Embraer E-175 aircraft ordered since the 2021 Dubai Airshow. The first E175 was delivered in September 2023 and four more are expected to join the fleet. The E175 is a dual-class 88-seater modern jet aircraft.

“Whether traveling for business or pleasure, we welcome passengers to experience comfort in our Premium Cabin. With the delivery of the latest brand new Embraer E-175 jet aircraft, Overland Airways is set to launch flight services to more destinations in Nigeria and across West Africa. We assure our esteemed customers of quality and consistent service that Overland Airways is known for”, said Atiba.

By Maureen O'Hare, CNN

LondonCNN — 

Following a weekend of violent disorder in the UK, in which rioters attacked hotels used to house asylum seekers, a number of countries including Nigeria, Australia and Indonesia have delivered warnings to their citizens in or traveling to the UK.

The UK’s worst social unrest in years was sparked by the stabbing deaths of three young girls Stockport, northwest England, last week. Since then, anti-Muslim and anti-immigration extremists have been mobilized by a wave of disinformation about the killings, including false claims the attacker was an immigrant.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel alert on Monday warning its citizens planning to visit the UK that “demonstrations by far right and other extra-parliamentary groups in parts of the UK in recent weeks have been large and in some instances unruly” and that “there is an increased risk of violence and disorder.”

The alert advises Nigerian citizens to be “extra vigilant” and “self-aware at all times” and to avoid crowded areas, large gatherings and political processions and rallies.

Kenya’s principal secretary for foreign affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, took to social media platform X on Sunday to post, ““A deeply worrying situation in the UK. Kenyans are urged to exercise caution.”

Violent protests have also been taking place in multiple cities in Nigeria this weekend over hunger and “bad governance,” with Kenya too recently dealing with nationwide protests against proposed tax hikes.

“Nigeria and Kenya are warning their citizens in the UK after riots in the former colonial power,” said Nairobi-based CNN correspondent Larry Madowo. “People are calling this ‘aura for aura’ because the UK and other Western nations often issue travel advisories targeting African countries.”

Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the first nation to react to the UK disorder, issuing “an urgent notice to Malaysians in the United Kingdom” on X on Sunday.

It said it was closely monitoring the situation in the UK and urged its citizens to “stay away from protest areas” and “remain vigilant.”

The Indonesian Embassy in London issued an appeal later Sunday, urging its citizens in the UK to increase vigilance, especially if traveling or doing activities outside the home, and to “avoid large crowds and places that have the potential to become gathering places for masses or groups of demonstrators.”

Lagos Court has voided the Nigeria Air sale to Ethiopian Airlines, suspending the project in favour of local aviation plaintiffs.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, declared null and void the sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airline.

The court ordered that the proposed establishment of a national carrier – Nigeria Air, by the federal government, should be suspended.

The judge made the order while granting the reliefs sought by the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and five others in the aviation industry.

Justice Lewis-Allagoa granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs except for relief number eight demanding for N2billion as damages.

The plaintiffs in the suit were the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited, who were the first to sixth plaintiffs.

However, the first to fourth defendants were Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (former Minister of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Aviation) and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The plaintiffs had filed the suit asking the court to make an order setting aside the entire bidding/selection process(es) for the “Nigeria Air” project as well as the approval, grant or selection of the 2nd defendant by the 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants in the process.

The Plaintiffs claimed the bidding process for Nigeria Air, facilitated by the Federal Government of Nigeria, was fraught with irregularities and favoured Ethiopian Airlines, a foreign entity wholly owned by the Ethiopian Government. 

The plaintiffs argued that the Federal Ministry of Transportation representatives, who hold significant control in Nigeria Air, failed to comply with the request for proposal guidelines, leading to the exclusion of local airlines from the bidding process.

The plaintiffs submitted that the 3rd and 4th defendants, who are key government officials, facilitated a skewed bidding process, granting the 2nd defendant and its consortium unprecedented privileges. 

These included a 15-year tax moratorium, exclusive terminal buildings in Lagos and Abuja, and significant financial support, which they argue will undermine local airlines and the Nigerian economy.

According to the plaintiffs, the consortium led by Ethiopian Airlines was discreetly allowed to be the sole bidder and winner, contrary to the principles of free and fair competition. 

They claimed that the 2nd defendant’s business plan also proposed strategies that could stultify the operations of local airlines, further jeopardising the Nigerian aviation industry.

Besides, the plaintiffs argued that Tianaero Nigeria Limited, the transaction advisor for the deal, was inadequately qualified and lacked the necessary experience, raising further concerns about the legitimacy of the bidding process.

The plaintiffs asserted that the entire process has been marred by politics and personal interests, designed to achieve an outcome detrimental to Nigerian airlines and the broader public interest. 

They sought an order to nullify the entire bidding and selection process for the Nigeria Air project, as well as the approval and selection of Ethiopian Airlines by the defendants. 

In the judgment, delivered on Monday, Justice Lewis-Allagoa, discountenanced the sole issues raised by the 2nd defendant (Ethiopian Airlines).

The Judge held, “All the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs are granted except for relief number eight for damages”

 Wale Igbintade

Felix Onuah - Reuters

Protests against a cost of living crisis must be suspended to create an opportunity for dialogue, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has said in his first public comments since frustrated citizens took to the streets.

Amnesty International has said at least 13 people were killed in clashes with security forces on the first day of protests on Thursday.

Police denied using excessive force and said seven people had died as of Saturday - four from an explosive device during a march in northeast Borno state, two who were hit by a car and another who was shot by a guard when protesters looted a shop.

In a televised broadcast, Tinubu called for an end to violence in several states since the protests started, saying he was always open for dialogue.

"My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear," he said.

"I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens."

Nigerians have been mobilising online to organise protests against economic hardship and bad governance and have called for a cut in petrol prices and electricity tariffs, among several demands.

Tinubu, in office since May 2023, defended his economic reforms, which have included a partial end to petrol and electricity subsidies and devaluation of the naira, as necessary to reverse years of economic mismanagement.

He said government revenues had more than doubled to 9.1 trillion naira ($A8.7 billion) in the first half of this year while 68 per cent of revenue now went to debt servicing, down from 97 per cent before he took office in May 2023.

The government was also ramping up spending on infrastructure projects, started a loan scheme for university students and was building thousands of housing units across Nigeria's 36 states, the president said.

"But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart," Tinubu said.

By Seun Sanni

LAGOS, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Protests in Nigeria over the soaring cost of living ebbed on Monday, with only a few hundred people turning out in major cities following a deadly crackdown by security forces since the demonstrations began last week.
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in the capital Abuja, Lagos and other big cities during the protests against economic hardship and crime, which started on Thursday and were meant to continue until Aug. 10.

Amnesty International said at least 13 people have been killed in clashes with police since the start of the protests, which were dubbed "#10DaysOfRage". Police put the death toll at seven, saying some of the fatalities were caused by accidents and an explosive device.
A tough police response and a call for a protest pause by President Bola Tinubu appeared to have dampened the demonstrations, which came weeks after data showed annual inflation hit a 28-year high of 34.19% in June.

In the commercial hub of Lagos, where demonstrations have been largely peaceful, about 100 people gathered at the protest venue singing and chanting "we are hungry". In Abuja, there were no signs of protests at the main stadium where protesters have been gathering since Thursday.
In the north of the country, about 200 protesters were dispersed by armed security forces in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, while in Katsina, security forces fired teargas at protesters who were chanting "hunger and insecurity are killing us".

Curfews have been imposed in parts of the north, which has seen some of the largest and fiercest protests, and in the central state of Plateau.
On Sunday, Tinubu called for an end to violence and said he was always open to dialogue.
Tinubu, in office since May 2023, defended his economic reforms, which have included a partial end to costly petrol and electricity subsidies and devaluation of the naira, as necessary to reverse years of economic mismanagement.

Nigerians in Lagos took to the street on Monday to continue the economic harship protest despite President Tinubu’s plea for suspension of the demonstration.

The protests, tagged “days of rage”, are mainly against Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and accusations of misgovernment and corruption in Africa’s most populous country and a top oil producer where public officials’ huge earnings contrast high poverty and hunger levels.

The protesters have also been inspired by other young people in Kenya who held rallies last month to kick against a planned tax hike. Both protests have also featured grievances against governments accused of not meeting the expectations that catapulted them to power.

One of the protesters told the Associated Press says that “the question of dialogue has been raised,” but the government is forgeting that “these protest in itself is a dialogue with the mass of the working people.”

In his Presidential broadcast, Tinubu defended the audacious reforms that were supposed to save the government money and shore up dwindling foreign investments but whose immediate impact has caused hardship.

The reforms, including the suspension of decadeslong and costly gas subsidies and currency devaluations, have had a knock-on effect on the price of just about everything else because Nigerians believe they've been poorly implemented.

The grid collapsed around 2:55 p.m. on Monday, with generation dropping to zero.

By Mary Izuaka

Nigeria’s electricity grid on Monday collapsed yet again, throwing several cities into darkness.

The grid collapsed around 2:55 p.m. on Monday, with generation dropping significantly.

Confirming the collapse, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), in a statement posted on its X handle said: “Dear valued customers, We understand that some of our customers are still without power due to a system failure from the national grid at 2.55 p.m. today, 5th August 2024.

“Please be assured that the system is gradually stabilising and we are working diligently with all relevant stakeholders to restore power to the affected areas as quickly as possible.“Thank you for your patience and understanding,” the statement said.

The General Manager, Public Affairs at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Ndidi Mbah, told PREMIUM TIMES Monday evening that the public would soon be updated about the development.

In recent years, the power sector has experienced many challenges in areas of electricity policy enforcement, regulatory uncertainty, gas supply, transmission system constraints, and significant power sector planning shortfalls.

After six years living in Ottawa, a father with Canadian-born children is waiting in jail as he, his wife and one daughter face deportation to Nigeria.

Dapo Makinde was detained on June 25, two days before his family was required to report for deportation, and is now being held at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.

The African Canadian Association of Ottawa is fighting for the Makinde family to stay. It says removing them would uproot a family with deep ties to Canada formed while waiting for applications to inch through the bureaucracy.

Hector Addison, the association's head, said jailing Dapo Makinde is "completely unacceptable."

"I think it's too harsh to be putting people who have been in this country for seven years or more, contributing to the economy of this country, in jail simply because they felt they have not been preparing themselves to leave," he said.

Bid for refugee status rejected

The Makindes first came to Canada with their Nigerian-born one-year-old daughter in 2017, crossing over from the United States over Roxham Road in Quebec. They moved to Ottawa in 2018.

Adepeju Makinde said the family fled Nigeria to escape pressure from her husband's relatives to perform a genital cutting procedure on their young daughter. Upon arriving in Canada, she said their bid for refugee status was rejected after a hearing.

According to Adepeju, officials said they had alternatives to coming to Canada, since they could have moved to another part of Nigeria.

After their appeals were also rejected, the family submitted an application to stay in Canada as permanent residents under humanitarian and compassionate considerations, Adepeju said. They've been waiting almost three years, since October 2021, for a response.

'He's not a criminal'

She said they have received no written response to date, though officials verbally told her husband in jail that the application was also rejected.

The family's removal from Canada was scheduled in May, and they were required to report for deportation on June 27.

Adepeju said the couple met with officials on June 25 and said Dapo was asked to remain. She said they detained him while she sat waiting in the car.

Adepeju said officials cited the family's lack of preparation to leave Canada. Addison explained that they hadn't yet secured passports for their youngest children or sold their house.

"It's been a very terrible situation," she said. "I just hope they can at least please release him. He's not a criminal."

Dapo had a medical episode on June 27 as he was to fly out, said Adepeju and Addison. He remains at the OCDC and the family remains in Ottawa awaiting a new removal date, though the removal order remains in place.

Ontario had previously announced that it's ending its agreement with the Canadian Border Services Agency to allow immigration detentions in provincial jails, but it later extended it until at least the end of this month.

Application wait times called 'troubling'

Addison is pushing for the immigration minister to intervene. He said he should take into account the roots the Makinde family has put down in Canada. Both are employed and own a house in Barrhaven. They volunteer. Their two younger children, aged 2 and 5, were born in Canada.

"Having been here since 2017, they never thought they would be going back home in 2024, especially after building a life here and contributing so much to the economy and the community," he said.

He said the family didn't let the long timelines for immigration procedures stop them from integrating into their new community.

"It's been delayed, and when you have somebody in the country, who's waited this very long time before they get to know the results of their case, that is troubling," he said.

Hector Addison of the African Canadian Association of Ottawa calls Dapo Makinde's detention 'completely unacceptable.' (Nick Persaud/CBC)

The two younger children are not required to leave Canada, but Adepeju cannot bear the prospect of leaving them behind or of bringing them to a country they've never known, and where she sees few prospects. In her view, it's an impossible choice.

"Going back is not an option. You can imagine being in a country for over seven years," she said. "You've invested seven years of your life in a country and then the country just turns their back on you and tells you, we don't want you anymore, you have to go."

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would not comment on the specifics of the family's case. IRCC estimates average wait times for applications under humanitarian and compassionate grounds at 24 months.

Uprooting families 'heartbreaking,' says lawyer

Immigration lawyer Anne-Cécile Khouri-Raphael said those timelines can vary drastically from case to case.

"I've had cases granted in over four years. I've had cases granted in less than a month," she said.

"It's not always possible to understand why a case gets stuck and a case doesn't. But three years is absolutely not atypical."

In her view, those timelines are "incredibly long" for those left waiting in limbo. She said it leaves families in distress and called it "heartbreaking."

"It means that it's incredibly complex for the whole family," she said. "They've been separated from their country of origin for a longer period of time. They often don't have connections there anymore. So the longer you wait, the longer you hope, and the longer you detach from your country of origin."

Detention is last resort, CBSA says

Jeffrey Macdonald, a communications advisor with IRCC, said processing times vary depending on complexity, security screening, how easily information can be verified and other factors.

He said officials look at how settled a person is in Canada and the best interest of children involved when assessing applications under humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

In an email statement, CBSA said it has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals inadmissible to Canada who have a removal order in force.

It says there are "multiple steps built into the process to ensure procedural fairness" and that it only takes action once all legal avenues have been exhausted.

It says detention is a measure of last resort, but declined to comment on the specifics of Dapo Makinde's case for privacy reasons.

"The decision to detain a person is not taken lightly and is subject to a review," it said.

BY  SEGUN ADEYEMI

• The Federal High Court in Lagos declared the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines null and void.
• The ruling was a significant victory for the plaintiffs, including multiple airline operators in Nigeria.
• The ruling effectively halts the national carrier project, raising questions about transparency and legality.

In a landmark ruling, the Federal High Court in Lagos has declared the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines null and void.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, presiding over the case, ordered that the Federal Government's proposed establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, be halted.

The judgment came as a significant victory for the plaintiffs, the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, alongside Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited.

They had sought to stop the sale, citing wrongful exclusion and irregularities in the bidding and selection processes. Justice Lewis-Allagoa granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs except for the N2bn damages claim for the injury they alleged to have suffered.

The judge stated, "The proposed establishment of Nigeria Air should not be carried out," thereby affirming the plaintiffs' position on the illegality of the bidding process.

The six plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, former Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

They requested the court annul the entire bidding and selection process, including the former officials' approval and grant of Ethiopian Airlines.

This ruling effectively halts the national carrier project, raising questions about the transparency and legality of the processes involved in its establishment.

Nigeria Air controversy takes flight

In July 2018, Nigeria embarked on a journey to penetrate the global aviation market, with the unveiling of the nation’s proposed national carrier, at the Farnborough Air Show in England.

Five years later, the proposed national carrier landed at Abuja Airport, evoking a range of emotions among Nigerians. While some expressed joy at the long-awaited launch of a national carrier, others questioned the logic of commencing operations with just a single aircraft. However, it was later discovered that the aircraft showcased at the launch actually belonged to Ethiopian Airlines, not Nigeria Air.

Ethiopian Airlines is a major investor in Nigeria Air, holding a 49 per cent stake, Nigerian private investors hold 46 per cent, and the federal government – 5 per cent. The equity percentages have since elicited various reactions, as many think this would pose an existential threat to domestic carriers and the entire aviation sector.

Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering, contract fraud, and other issues related to the Nigeria Air project.

by  Michael Wakin

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai International Airport saw a record 44.9 million travelers pass through its cavernous terminals in the first half of this year, putting the world's busiest airport for international travel back on track to beat its all-time record as aviation booms after the coronavirus pandemic.

The results released on Wednesday follow a record-breaking annual profit for the long-haul carrier Emirates that calls the airport known as DXB home — and comes as Dubai plans to move operations to a planned, nearly $35 billion airfield in the next decade.

Meanwhile, a real-estate boom and its highest-ever tourism numbers have made the city-state in the United Arab Emirates no longer just a layover but a destination for even more travelers.

“The record-breaking performance in the first half of this year highlights our strategic importance as a global aviation hub," Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said in a statement. “Dubai is at the forefront of global cities when it comes to attracting talent, businesses, and tourists from around the world — and we are proud to be the gateway to the city.”

The airport had 89.1 million passengers in 2018, its busiest-ever year before the pandemic. Sixty-six million passengers passed through in 2022 and 86.9 million passengers in 2023.

"We have a very optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, and we are on track to break records with 91.8 million annual guests forecasted for 2024,” Griffiths added.

DXB long has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and the wider economic health of Dubai. The emirate and the airline rebounded quickly from the pandemic by pushing forward with tourism even as some countries more slowly came out of their pandemic crouch.

That has seen whiplash at an airport briefly shut during the pandemic to one now straining from the traffic. In April, Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced plans to move DXB's operations to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, an airfield in the city's southern reaches whose development had been delayed by the repercussions of the sheikhdom’s 2009 economic crisis.

Plans call for a curving, white terminal reminiscent of the traditional Bedouin tents of the Arabian Peninsula. The airport will include five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, officials say. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport.

Al Maktoum International Airport, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) away from DXB, opened in 2010 with one terminal. It served as a parking lot for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic and slowly has come back to life with cargo and private flights in the time since. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand.

The announcement by Sheikh Mohammed noted Dubai’s plans to expand further south. Already, its nearby Expo 2020 site has been offering homes for buyers.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed to this report.

Michael Wakin, The Associated Press