Business
Nigeria Air: FG To Float IPO, Begins Operations With Three Planes
The Federal Government has announced that beginning from this week, it would start sending out Request for Proposals to investors interested in owning shares in the proposed national carrier.
It also expressed hope that the carrier, Nigeria Air, would be quoted on the stock exchange, adding that Nigerians would be allowed to buy shares in the airline that was being planned to commence operations with three leased aircrafts.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirka, disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja, last Thursday, when he explained that 46 per cent stake in the airline was exclusively for Nigerians, five per cent for government, while 49 per cent was for strategic equity partners, which were assumed to be foreign investors.
Sirika said discussions with prospective investors had been ongoing and that Request for Proposals would be sent out this week.
He said, “We will release what is called Request for Proposals very soon, I believe next week (this week). And this Request for Proposals will describe what and what we are asking for.
“You will now go and send us a document that you are proposing to partner us and this is what you are giving us. Then we will sit down, evaluate, discuss and choose a strategic partner or partners for this airline.
“So Request for Proposals are going out next week and by the grace of God we will continue to pursue that and people will show up”.
Responding to a question on how the 46 per cent stake to be owned by Nigerians would be acquired, Sirika said, “It will be purchased exactly the way you buy shares in every company.
“This is because Nigeria Air is a limited liability company for now, registered under the law of the land and structured in a PPP (public private partnership) manner.
“So you purchase it the same way you purchase shares in any company and later it is our hope that it will be listed and go through IPO (Initial Public Offering) and so on”.
The minister explained that the airline would start operations with three wet-leased aircraft, as it would take about three to five years to take delivery of an aircraft that was ordered for.
“They will start with wet-leased aircraft and that’s how 90 per cent of airlines in the world would have started. So they will start with a wet-lease of three aircraft and then continue to expand, place orders and then get deliveries,” he stated.
Sirika further emphasised that the Federal Government would not have any control in Nigeria Air, rather investors in the carrier would run the business.
He stated that the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility for the carrier and others would begin in Abuja next year.
Sirika said, “On the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility, it will be started in Abuja and government has given 12,000 hectares of land in Abuja for the development of Abuja airport.
“In that 12,000 hectares of land, which all of it is a free zone, there will be the MRO facility, a second runway, new terminal building and various businesses. It is going to be a whole airport city”.
He said partners for the MRO had been approached and once approved by the Federal Executive Council, work would start in April 2022, adding that the facility would save Nigeria millions of dollars when operational.
The Transaction Adviser to the government for the national carrier, Capt. Tilmann Gabriel, said efforts were ongoing to get the airlines certified.
“A lot of work has been done and it did not start today, rather it started three years ago. An AOC (Air Operator Certificate) is to be applied for in the next couple of days from the NCAA, which is the regulatory authority”, he stated.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic
Reports say that the training is designed to equip youths with practical technical skills for employment in the oil and gas and construction sectors, with emphasis on employability, safety, competence and self reliance.
In attendance at the flag-off ceremony this week, at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Hall, Effurun, were stakeholders, dignitaries, and political representatives, among others.
Dafinone, represented by his Chief of Staff, Adelabu Bodjor, said the initiative reflects a deliberate political investment in human capital development across Delta Central.
He explained that the training focuses on rigging and scaffolding, noting that “both are essential technical competencies required in industrial operations, construction projects, and oil and gas installations”.
Bodjor added, “The programme is intended to reduce dependency among youths by providing job-ready skills capable of supporting long-term economic opportunities and self-sufficiency. The initiative aligns with Senator Dafinone’s broader development agenda, which prioritises practical skill acquisition as a pathway to sustainable empowerment.”
Also addressing the participants, the NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by Mr. Teddy Bai, commended Dafinone for sponsoring the programme, describing it as “a timely response to critical manpower gaps in the industry”.
Bai explained that rigging and scaffolding remain safety-sensitive skills required across fabrication yards, offshore platforms, and construction sites, stressing that the programme bridges the gap between certification and practical competence.
He also charged the training consultant, OROH Contractors Limited, to maintain strict standards of professionalism, safety, and discipline, while urging participants to remain committed, focused, and disciplined throughout the exercise.
The Senate Liaison Officer for Sapele Local Government Area, Chief Patrick Akamuvba, , described the programme as a major step in strengthening human capital development in Delta Central.
Akamuvba said scaffolding and rigging skills are in high demand across residential, commercial, and industrial construction projects, noting that the training offers real employment opportunities for beneficiaries
He urged participants to prioritise knowledge and certification over short-term material expectations, stressing that discipline and seriousness would determine their long-term success.
He also cautioned youths against social vices and distractions, advising them to remain focused to maximise the opportunities provided by the programme.
