The event was attended by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema.
The minister said the Federal Government would soon present a bill to the National Assembly to be known as the Fly Nigerian Act.
"We are going to bring the bill on the Fly Nigerian Air to him (Benjamin Kalu). He will pass it," Keyamo said.
Explaining the rationale behind the proposed law, Keyamo said it would require government officials to travel on Nigerian airlines for official trips whenever such carriers operate on the desired route.
"The Fly Nigerian Air is to mandate every government official travelling abroad to patronise our local airlines if they are flying that route first, except there is no local airline flying that route," he explained.
The minister said the initiative mirrors global best practices, citing examples such as the United States’ Fly American Act and India’s Fly India Act, which prioritise national carriers for official travel.
"We have the Fly American Act. We have the Fly India Act. We have these laws all over the world, but we have not implemented them. We want to bring it here," he added.
Keyamo further outlined how the proposed policy would function in practice.
"If a government official, member of the House of Representatives, Senator, Minister, DG, or any other public servant is flying to any part of the world, the first question you ask is: is there a Nigerian airline flying that route? You must buy that airline ticket first, except that they are not flying that route," he said.
He assured that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development is committed to working with lawmakers to ensure the bill’s passage, describing it as a crucial step toward strengthening Nigeria’s aviation sector and promoting national economic interests.
Comments
Post a Comment