Connect with us

Business

That Bilateral Air Services Agreement With Israel

Published

12 years ago

on

In spite of the rising volume of trade between Nigeria and Israel and the large number of Nigerians performing the yearly Christian pilgrimage to Israel, there is no direct air link between the two countries.

As a result of this, “spiritual visits’ to the Holy Land and business trips have been tortuous and rigorous due to the absence of direct flights between Nigeria and Israel.

This is because anyone travelling to Israel from Nigeria has to make a compulsory stopover in countries like Turkey, France, Germany, Cyprus and Ethiopia before proceeding on the journey

Statistics from Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, however, indicate that Nigeria has the highest number of pilgrims coming to Israel after the U.S.

Observers, therefore, believe that the signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Israel in Jerusalem on October 28, 2013 would redress the trend.

The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, who signed the agreement on behalf of Nigeria, said that the agreement would deepen bilateral ties between the two countries and boost their economies.

“The agreement will augur well for movement of persons, pilgrims, businessmen, academics, the civil society and students. Many of our people also come here to benefit from the technology of Israel,’’ she said.

Onwuliri said that the agreement would also make a tremendous impact on trade and investment, agriculture, construction, tourism, security and capacity building.

Mr Zeev Elkin, who signed on behalf of the State of Israel, noted that the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan, who was in Israel when the agreement was signed, provided a great opportunity for the signing of the agreement.

The Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, said that the BASA agreement would be exploited to enhance the performance of the aviation sector. She said that the aviation sector was already targeting the operation of daily flights to Israel.

On his part, Mr John Kennedy Okpara, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, said that the agreement could reduce the number of hours which pilgrims spent on flights, as well as cut costs.

Mr Ike Willie-Nwobu, the Executive Director, Nigeria-Israel Chamber of Commerce (NICC), said that the BASA agreement with Israel would remove some barriers hindering trade between the two countries.

He stressed that Nigerian entrepreneurs had not been able to fully utilise the investment opportunities in Israel because of the rigours of travelling through connect flights.

“Anyone travelling to Israel from Nigeria has compulsory stopovers in countries like Turkey, France, Germany and Ethiopia before proceeding on the journey.

“This has been a major disincentive to Nigerian entrepreneurs seeking business ties with their Israeli counterparts,” he said.

Willie-Nwobu said that the agreement would open new frontiers for investment opportunities in various sectors of the economy.

“There will be opportunities for airlines that are interested in flying through major air routes in Nigeria and Israel.

“It will also create a crash in the price of flight tickets which is currently between N400,000 and N450, 000. It will shorten business transactions and reduce restrictions on export of goods,” he said.

Mr Jude Arinze, Executive Secretary of NICC, said that the BASA agreement would definitely boost trade between the two countries.

He said that the value of Nigeria’s exports to Israel had increased from N2.7 billion in 2012 to N4.5 billion in 2013.

While Israel’s import from Nigeria, however, declined from N14.6 billion in 2012 to N9.3 billion in 2013 and the current trade deficit between the two countries was N12.5 billion.

Apart from economic interests and pilgrimage binding Nigeria and Israel together, the two countries share common stance in global peace and fight against terrorism.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres, who met Jonathan during the 2013 pilgrimage to Israel when the BASA deal was signed, said that both countries were facing the menace of terrorism.

Peres said that Nigeria and Israel had been steadfast partners in efforts to combat radical religious terror groups such as al-Qaida, Hezbollah and Boko Haram.

“With Nigeria at our side on the front against terror, we remain determined as ever to combat the spread of darkness. The future can be saved by making peace; it is in Israel’s interest to live in peace with our neighbours. Peace, in itself, may be the greatest benefit to the two of us — Israel and Palestine.

“Terrorists all over the world are united in their attempt to destroy hope and unity; those of us who seek peace and freedom must be united in order to defend our common front,’’ Peres said.

On his part, Jonathan acknowledged the unrelenting efforts of the Israeli president to bring about a peaceful solution to the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He said that Nigeria welcomed the commitment to peace talks by both sides and the recent release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. We urge that the momentum for negotiations and eventual resolution of the crisis be sustained,’’ he said.

Jonathan noted that with the burgeoning peace between Israel and her neighbouring countries, more Nigerians would be encouraged to visit the State of Israel.

He said that the number of Nigerians visiting Israel annually was ever increasing, stressing that not less than 30,000 Nigerians visited Israel in 2012.

Jonathan also said that about 50 Israeli companies were actively operating in Nigeria, either directly or through joint ventures.

He listed the areas of Israeli involvement in Nigeria as agriculture, construction, communications, infrastructure, water management and resources, education and health.

Stakeholders urge the Federal Government to improve Nigeria’s economic relations with the State of Israel, while aiding the fulfilment of the BASA agreement with the Middle East country.

Okoronkwo for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

 

Chijioke Okoronkwo

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members  In Brass Water

Published

1 week ago

on

May 18, 2026

By

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways
The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and  members of his church were in a programme.
?
?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet  to be recovered
as search party are still ongoing.
Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report,  our Correspondent gathered  that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.
The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit
The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s  on the sad accident
By: CHINEDU WOSU
Continue Reading

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

1 week ago

on

May 18, 2026

By

The Rivers State Council of  Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.
Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt,  recently.
Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.
He noted that  the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.
According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.
He also  informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.
“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.
Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.
The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.
He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.
The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.
He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.
Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.
By: King Onunwor
Continue Reading

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

2 weeks ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.
 Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.
“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.
The minister noted  the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.
According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.
Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.
He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.
He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.
“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.
Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.
“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.
“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.
She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.
Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).
“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.
“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.
Continue Reading

Trending