The Federal Government said yesterday it has no desire to revive the botched Nigeria Air project with Ethiopian Airlines, ET.

This comes amid inquiries about a reference to the revival of the national carrier project by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, during a handover ceremony in Abuja.

Kana had said: “My deployment to the ministry of aviation and aerospace development is quite timely. While receiving my deployment letter, I received very clear instructions with two tasks to achieve within this period: ensuring the national carrier becomes a reality and sanitizing our airports across the country.”

But clarifying his remarks in a statement yesterday, Kana stated: “Since my inaugural statement on Monday at the hand-over ceremony, I have been inundated with inquiries about my reference to the revival of the national carrier project.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I never said there is a mandate to revive the botched Nigeria Air deal with Ethiopian airline. I received no such instruction.

‘’I was only referring to the general vision of the administration to still consider a national carrier project if it is favourable to the country and under the guidance and directives of Mr President and the minister of aviation. I hope this clarifies all the ambiguities surrounding my earlier statement on this issue.

“On a personal note, I pledge absolute loyalty to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, and remain dedicated to working closely with him to drive the ministry’s agenda forward.

‘’Together, we will ensure that the future of aviation in Nigeria is bright, innovative, and reflective of the aspirations of our great nation.”

The botched Nigeria Air project was a conception of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

The project was suspended by the Federal Government after allegations of corruption. On August 6, 2024, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa also ordered that the Federal Government’s plans to establish a national carrier, Nigeria Air, be halted.