Lai Mohammed blames non-commitment of investors for suspension of Nigeria Air
Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has said the indefinite suspension of national carrier, Nigeria Air was as a result of apathy from investors.
The Federal Government, when the project was announced in July, said it would be financed by investors. Many observers were skeptical about the plan, and the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika confirmed last week that the project had been suspended indefinitely.
Mohammed told newsmen in Lagos on Monday that investors haven’t shown enough commitment to the national carrier project, hence the suspension.
He, however, said the project has not been totally abandoned.
“If the understanding of government at the beginning was that the project might be self-financing or the project would be financed by investors and you think that such a project can no longer be sponsored by investors, either because they are not forthcoming or such venture can no longer be viable, the government is at the discretion to take a decision,” he said.
“The position of government in business is to provide the enabling environment and it is not to become the sole source of finance or funding and in addition, there is much more than funding in trying to get our national carrier. So, the Federal Government thinks this thing should be stepped down now until we get a better funding structure.”
