Ethiopian Airlines Claims $211,000 Owed By Nigeria Over Failed Airline Venture

11 July 2024
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew has informed Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the country's Ministry of Aviation owes the airline $211,000 for breaching contract terms related to the failed Nigeria Air joint venture.

The EFCC is investigating the alleged misappropriation of 2.7 billion Naira allocated to the project. Mesfin and other Ethiopian Airlines officials were interviewed as part of the investigation. They explained that the terms of the partnership, established during former Nigerian aviation minister Hadi Sirika's tenure, were not upheld.

The new Nigerian aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, has suspended the Nigeria Air project indefinitely. Keyamo stated that it was "just Ethiopian Airlines trying to fly the Nigerian flag" rather than a genuine Nigerian project.

The Nigeria Air project was initiated under former minister Sirika and former President Muhammadu Buhari. It aimed to establish a national carrier in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines and Nigerian investors. The EFCC has since arrested and charged Sirika and family members with corruption involving 2.7 billion naira related to the project.

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