Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, has proposed the Fly Nigerian Act, a bill that would require all government officials to use Nigerian airlines on international routes.
Keyamo announced the plan on Sunday during the ceremonial send-off of Air Peace’s inaugural direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow. The event was attended by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace.
He explained that the proposed law would mandate every public official travelling abroad to patronise a Nigerian airline if it operates that route. Only when no local carrier serves the destination would officials be allowed to fly with foreign airlines.
“This is global best practice. The United States has the Fly American Act, and India has a similar law. Nigeria must protect its airlines the same way,” Keyamo said.
He added that the initiative aims to strengthen the nation’s aviation sector, build passenger confidence in domestic carriers, and ensure Nigerian airlines benefit from government travel spending.
