FEBRUARY 01, 2023

The Federal Government has launched another passport front desk office in Lagos State, as part of its strategy to make passport administration a seamless exercise for Nigerians.

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said the opening of the front desk office is to ease the ever-increasing pressure on the three existing passport control offices in Lagos.

Speaking at the commissioning, the minister said, the government is committed to ensuring that challenges associated with accessing the Nigerian international passport are resolved.

“We are also committed to expanding our Passport Issuance operations to bridge the shortage gap we face usually in urban centres like Lagos. It is this need that gave birth to the Alimosho Front Desk Office to ease the ever-increasing pressure on the three existing Passport Control Offices domiciled in Lagos.

A statement signed by the media adviser to the minister, Sola Fasure contains that Aregbesola revealed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is working hard and increasing its capacity to cope with the high demand of Passports, in spite of the challenges faced.

“Applications have been increasing every year at unprecedented rate, due to the tendency of many Nigerians wanting to travel outside the country and those who want to use it as means of identification.

He said another cause for the rush to get the passport booklet is the ‘panic buying’ effect from those who wanted to obtain the passport because they heard some people (who probably went through touts) had difficulty obtaining theirs.

“But we have increased our capacity. Last year (2022), we produced 1.9 million passports, against the 1 million produced in 2021. This is about 80 per cent increase and it is unprecedented.

The Interior Minister however explained that the Alimosho-office is mainly for passport application and collection of biometric data, and eventual issuance, and not for passport production.

He stressed the inevitability of the emergence of private partners to provide spaces for more front offices in Lagos, due to the funding challenge faced by the government, as this will reduce the application waiting period to one week.

“But due to funding challenge, the government may not be able to provide these desk offices. We will therefore need private partners that will provide the lounge. Their only involvement will be to provide the space. The offices will still be manned and operated by NIS personnel.

“We certainly need more of this in Lagos. This is because half of all passport applications are made in Lagos. We will therefore need not less than 15 of these front offices in Lagos alone, to be able to cut the application waiting period to one week,” he explained.

Comptroller General of, NIS, Isah Idris, promised that the Service will continue to render quality and efficient service to Nigerians in need of its service.

According to him, “The NIS will continue to render efficient and effective service delivery to the public and I urge all to avail themselves of the numerous complaints mechanisms made available to our esteemed customers who for whatever reason(s) is displeased with the services rendered.

“There are lots of publications, signage and sensitization materials on the procedure of acquiring the Nigeria e-passport. Avail yourselves of this information targeted at reducing interference of anyone in the process of applying for the said facility. This is aimed at eliminating touting, extortion and other vices,” CG Jere noted.

“The Passport Office remains a no-go-area for touts, passport racketeers, fake breeder documents harvesters and all sorts of undesirable elements. I wish to warn that the long arm of the law and its full force will be visited on any person who by an act of commission or omission infringes on the Passport Offences as stipulated in Section 10(1a-h) of the Immigration Act, 2015.”

FEBRUARY 03, 2023

Air Peace has expanded its regional route network with the addition of Abuja-Banjul and Abuja-Dakar connections. This is just as the airline has also kicked…

By Abdullateef Aliyu

Air Peace has expanded its regional route network with the addition of Abuja-Banjul and Abuja-Dakar connections.

This is just as the airline has also kicked off plans to launch flight operations into Maiduguri and Jos.

Air Peace spokesperson, Stanley Olisa, in a statement, stated that the introduced regional connections from Abuja operate on Mondays and Fridays.

He added that Air Peace is finalising plans to expand its presence in the North East and North Central cities of Maiduguri and Jos, saying the launch dates will be announced soon.

Air Peace already operates three routes in the regions- Gombe, Ilorin and Makurdi.

Olisa said, “These new connections and planned routes are a further testament to our determination to continually interconnect Nigeria, giving Nigerians more network options and seamless connectivity. Also, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Malabo and Congo Kinshasa are in the works.”

The airline said in January 2023 that it has 38 aircraft and is expecting eight brand new Embraer 195-E2s from its firm order in 2019 and additional 15 brand new Boeing 737 Max 8 and 10 orders.

Air Peace leads Nigeria’s aviation industry with a network of 20 domestic routes, seven regional routes and three international destinations.

FEBRUARY 03, 2023

Nigerian flag carrier, Air Peace, has announced the addition of Abuja-Banjul and Abuja-Dakar connections to its regional network of seven West African cities.

This is as the airline has also kicked off plans to launch flight operations into Maiduguri and Jos.

Spokesperson of the airline, Stanley Olisa, said the routes were in response to demands of the travelling public and improving connectivity on the continent.

Olisa added that Air Peace was finalising plans to expand its presence in the North East and North Central cities of Maiduguri and Jos, and the launch dates would be announced soon. Air Peace already operates three routes in the regions- Gombe, Ilorin and Makurdi.

He said: “These new connections and planned routes are a further testament to our determination to continually interconnect Nigeria, giving Nigerians more network options and seamless connectivity. Also, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Malabo and Congo Kinshasa are in the works.”

The airline has 38 aircraft and is expecting eight brand new Embraer 195-E2s from its firm order in 2019 and additional 15 brand new Boeing 737 Max 8 and 10 orders.

Air Peace leads Nigeria’s aviation industry with a network of 20 domestic routes, seven regional routes and three international destinations, with an increasing, mixed modern fleet comprising Boeing 777, Boeing 737, Embraer 195-E2, Airbus 320, ERJ 145 and Dornier 328 Jet.

FEBRUARY 03, 2023

The long proposed national airline by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will receive its Air Operating Certificate in two weeks, says the minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika. This is according to a report by AeroTime, which quotes the minister as saying the national carrier represents an opportunity for the country’s aviation sector and Africa in general.

“Well, Nigeria Air will launch shortly. There is a process to establishing an airline and that process is driven by the CAA of Nigeria, which is the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and it comes in phases: phases one, two, three, four, and five. Those processes must happen. But before those processes will happen, because it is a private-public partnership, it must go through the Infrastructure, Concession Regulatory Commission, starting by establishing a consultancy firm transaction advisor to make a business case and to see whether it is a viable bankable project. And that has been done. It took, of course, about two years to do.

“So, you must study the market in at least two cycles. That happened, the outline business case was produced, which looked very good, and it was approved by the ICRC. Then it was taken to the Federal Executive Council, [where it was] also approved. And then, before now, we went to [the] public to invite for tenders for bidders, which is the procurement process. “In that procurement process, Nigeria Air ended up having Ethiopian Airlines as a partner with 49 percent, and then 5 percent is for the Government of Nigeria, and 46 percent’; Nigerian entrepreneurs and companies. coming together to own the rest. Now this would be the structure of the airline,” the report quoted the minister as saying.

Furthermore, the minister said, “Nigeria Air has applied for the Air Transport Licence which has been issued, and now they’re applying for an AOC. I believe that one week from today, it should be able to get the AOC issued or within two weeks maximum. And that will signal the beginning of the establishment of the carrier itself [which can then begin flying). So, the airline is on its way, and it will be soon. It will be launched within this quarter, it will be flying within this quarter, and it will give Nigeria the service that has been eluding it.”

FEBRUARY 04, 2023

BY  Chinedu Eze

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has put measures in place to make Nigeria a major player in cargo freighting, create more jobs for Nigerians in the sub-sector and boost its revenue from cargo imports and exports.

Nigeria's economy is described as import oriented because with over 200 million population, the country depends more on imported goods than products manufactured locally and that means huge demand in forex for imports, but ironically international carriers and others benefit more from goods import into the country than Nigerians.

Nigeria also has so much to export and earn revenue but these potential exports have remained unexploited and there are so many barriers put on the way to fully take advantage of the benefits in export and import of cargo through the nation's airports.

This unfavourable scenario is what FAAN has moved to correct by ensuring that Nigeria maximally benefits from cargo freighting and to also boost Nigeria's export and galvanise the opportunities offered by the sub-sector.

This was the reason the Managing Director and Chief Executive of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, on December 4, 2022 inaugurated Aviation Cargo Road Map Development Committee to drive the agency's objectives towards the development of the sub-sector.

Yadudu explained that the decision to set up the Committee was prompted by FAAN management to address the challenges identified to be hindering the agency's capacity in processing enough cargo freighting at the nation's airports.

Before inaugurating the committee late last year, he observed that the challenges facing cargo freighting in Nigeria "were articulated in the Communique issued at the end of the first Aviation and Cargo Conference in 2021, codenamed "CHINET '21 and reechoed in CHINET 2022."

"I am happy today, because these challenges were identified by the various organisations represented in this Committee, I am about to inaugurate. My happiness is doubled or even tripled because looking at the array of names that constitute the membership of this Committee, I have no doubt, we made the right choices," he said.

Yadudu expressed hope that the committee would drive the development of implementable Aviation Cargo Road Map that would address the identified challenges with a view to moving the cargo business from the current level to a desired sustainable level in the short to long-term.

The FAAN boss expressed the desire that the Road Map address the ways by which Nigeria's aviation cargo processing and facilitation would increase in volumes to rank the country among the first or at least the second in Africa before or by the year 2027.

"Currently, we are in the fifth position in Africa, having facilitated only 204, 649 tons of cargo in 2021. The first airport facilitated only 363,204 tons in the same year. And in domestic cargo we facilitated only 8,895 tons in 2021.

"By our projections of 25 per cent on year-on year incremental basis, we expect to be ranked first or second in Africa by or before the year 2027. With you, certainly, we can achieve this," he said.

Yadudu disclosed that most administrative bottlenecks to cargo freighting advancement identified by the various organisations in the sub-sector were being considered at the ministerial level.

"I can assure you that administrative challenges already identified will be rectified for more efficiency in our operations and logistics," he assured.

He gave the terms of reference for the actualisation of the Road Map to include: to articulate action plans that meet international best practices and assign timelines for facilitation of cargo processing at our airports and to articulate guidelines that meet international best practice for Public-Private Partnership in developing modern cargo infrastructures and facilities for optimum air-cargo facilitation that meets destination country's standard.

Yadudu also wanted the committee to articulate programmes and incentives that will encourage mass participation of local airlines in domestic cargo facilitation; to articulate mechanisms that would bridge the turn-around time in cargo facilitation; to articulate solutions to lack of adequate insurance coverage in the cargo value chain and to proffer any other suggestions that might help to achieve the desired goal in cargo business at the nation's airports.

Yadudu who expected the committee to present its report within the first quarter of 2023, appointed Ambassador Ikechi Uko as the coordinator.

Currently cargo freighting in Nigeria is dominated by international carriers that feed the cargo in the belly of their passenger aircraft or airlifted by cargo freighters, but Nigeria is yet to take advantage of its potential to export many products from the country, from farm produce to so many others that are demanded by Nigerians in Diaspora and others.

So there are many challenges the Committee must find their answers in the short time given to it to deliver. These include what Nigeria produces for export.

Other questions include what are the existing markets for Nigerian products? What are the challenges with production? Why do Nigeria exports not meet destination requirements? How can Nigeria increase production? What is the possibility of transforming Nigeria's raw materials currently being exported?

THISDAY investigations reveal that one of the major challenges facing air freighting of goods is extortion. Officials of government agencies like Quarantine, NAFDAC, Nigerian Immigration Service, Customs and others constitute obstacles to easy movement of goods to the underbelly of the aircraft that airlift them to various destinations. Using government bureaucracy and laws, these officials rigidly insist on certain conditions that must be met before they would allow these goods to be exported; but when bribed, they relax all the rules.

Experts said many goods were freighted from Nigeria's airports that were not documented and that Nigeria as a country, exports more goods than the records show. So if Nigeria is determined to boost non-oil exports to earn foreign exchange and meet international obligatory payments, it has to change its attitude towards exports because currently its approach to export is wrong. These are part of the enormous challenges before the committee, which it must find solutions to.

Experts also said what happened in the farms, logistics chains, airport and seaports, was far from what is expected, which the committee must address.

FEBRUARY 04, 2023

By Chinelo Obogo           

Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), an apolitical think-tank, has said that using President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign promises as key performance indicators (KPI), the industry underperformed between 2015-2023. President of the ASRTI, Dr. Gabriel Olowo, in his opening address at the Business Breakfast Meeting which held on Thursday at Ikeja with theme: “Aviation in Nigeria beyond the 2023 General Elections, Challenges and Prospects”, said the future of the Nigerian aviation industry largely depends on how the country deals with the numerous challenges currently impeding its development.

The group which gave an appraisal of the aviation sector in the first quarter of 2022, evaluated the response rate to the topical issues treated in its past meetings from 2015 and the score sheet showed that only six percent of its recommendations were implemented, while 42 percent are a work in progress and 52 percent remained unscratched in eight years.

Among the pending issues, Olowo said the failure to establish some aviation agency boards as stated in the Civil Aviation Authority Act (CAA), violates Section 29: 1 of the Act as contained in Section 11:1 of the 1999 Constitution.

He also queried issues of avoidable negligence in the industry including but not limited to who takes responsibility for the financial losses airlines and service providers incurred during the recent strike that disrupted business activities at the airport? He said questions calling for answers amidst the avoidable negligence includes: “Who takes the responsibility for the financial loses airlines and service providers incurred during the recent strike that disrupted businesses at the airport?

“Poor communication and crisis management exacerbated the strike’s collateral damages. A domestic carrier reportedly lost N500 million due to MM2’s shutdown. We strongly condemn the strike and management’s inadequate response. With apologies, adequate compensation should be provided for all parties affected. Regrettably, if the plan of change is not higher than the pain of remaining the same, people don’t change,” he said. He described some promised projects like the national carrier is at a stillbirth status, while the National Maintenance and Repair Organisation (MRO) is ‘unborn’. He said airport concessioning is inconclusive but the Civil Aviation Authority Act review was successful along with that of the Nigeria Transportation Investigation Board (NTSIB).

He also drew attention to well celebrated terminals and their unresolved issues stating, ”The New Airport Terminal Building in Lagos commissioned by the President last year has inadequate space at the aircraft apron for parking, ditto one in Abuja obstructing the control tower.

“The light rail line in Abuja does not connect to the airport terminal building either. Were there no plans before these projects were executed? One can only hope the newly commissioned Blue and Red Line Rails in Lagos would share links with the airport terminal buildings,” he said.

In a related development, political economist, Pat Utomi, said that if the Labour Party (LP) is voted into power, it will sack any airport manager that does not measure up to international standards after six months. Utomi who is part of the campaign team of the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi, disclosed this during the ASRTI breakfast meeting, saying that there is no reason why Nigerian airports should not be properly managed to provide common services that meet up to international standards.

“If we get into government, we would fire any airport manager if in six months, the airport he manages does meet standards seen in other parts of the world. What is so difficult about having a toilet that is clean that people can use at our airports? Our politics should be about detailing how things happen and how people should be held accountable if it does not happen. We travel all over the world and come back to see something different. This will no longer be allowed,” Utomi said.

Speaking on some of the plans of the party for the aviation industry, Utomi said the party plans to build many cities in Nigeria and link these cities using intermodal transport systems.  He said there has to be rail systems and small propeller aircraft and airports linked to these hubs, adding that the aviation industry has to be positioned to drive these developments.

“This is no longer the moment for politics of transactions. It is time to redeem the nation. When people know there are consequences for their actions, then they will begin to do the right things,” he said.

FEBRUARY 06, 2023

BY  Alan Levin and Mary Schlangenstein, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- A FedEx Corp. widebody cargo jet came within several hundred feet of colliding with a Southwest Airlines Co. plane in Austin, Texas, early Saturday and the two planes remained in close proximity for at least 30 seconds, flight data show.

The FedEx Boeing Co. 767-300, which had been cleared to land on the same Austin-Bergstrom International Airport runway where the Southwest 737-700 was taking off in heavy fog, aborted its touchdown and began climbing above the smaller plane. The details, gleaned from a Bloomberg review of tracking data from Flightradar24, offer new insight into the seriousness of Saturday’s incident, which didn’t result in any injuries.

At one point, the two planes were separated by less than 25 feet laterally as the FedEx jet flew above the Southwest aircraft, which had reached a speed of about 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour while it accelerated for takeoff, according to the data. Seconds later, as the Southwest plane lifted off, the two were less than 50 feet apart laterally and about 625 feet apart in height. 

“No question the airplanes were much too close,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot who is now a safety consultant. “It’s a very rare event to have these airliners so close.”

The US National Transportation Safety Board announced on Saturday it was investigating the incident, which occurred at about 6:40 a.m. local time. It’s the second serious runway near-collision in recent weeks. The Federal Aviation Administration is also reviewing the two incidents. 

It’s difficult at this early stage in the investigation to determine the precise risk of the two planes colliding, Cox said. He praised the FedEx pilots for aborting their landing seconds before touchdown, apparently realizing that the other jet was on the runway. 

As the FedEx jet neared the runway a voice said on the air-traffic radio frequency, “Southwest abort.” But the pilots on the passenger plane continued. A recording of the air-traffic radio calls was posted on the LiveATC.net website.

‘On the Go’

“FedEx is on the go,” one of the cargo jet pilots radioed the tower moments later, using aviation terminology for calling off a landing. 

A controller earlier had cleared the Southwest jet to take off and warned pilots on both planes there was nearby traffic. It wasn’t clear why both planes were directed toward the runway at the same time. 

The two planes remained within 550 feet of each other laterally for 33 seconds, according to the Flightradar24 data, as the FedEx jet climbed slightly faster along the runway. Typically, planes would be separated by about 3.5 miles laterally and 1,000 feet vertically while flying near an airport. 

Southwest Flight 708 arrived in Cancun about two hours later, according to Flightradar24. The FedEx jet circled the airport and landed in Austin about 12 minutes after the incident. 

See also: Southwest’s scheduling targeted by regulators after meltdown

A Southwest spokesman said the airline didn’t have additional information to share on the incident. There were 123 passengers and five crew members aboard, according to the company. 

A FedEx spokesman referred questions to the FAA and NTSB.

On Jan. 13, an American Airlines Group Inc. widebody jet rolled across a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as a Delta Air Lines Inc. plane accelerated for takeoff.

--With assistance from Thomas Black.

FEBRUARY 06, 2023

The Federal Government, last week, revealed that about 309 Nigerians renounced their citizenships in the last 16 years (2006-2021) with over half of that number recorded last year. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, alongside the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this in Abuja during a media briefing coordinated by the Presidential Media Team. That 150 Nigerians renounced their citizenship in 2022 alone indicates that the country is drifting dangerously.

Though the Interior Ministry did not state the reasons that necessitated the soaring number of Nigerians that rejected their citizenship, the minister disclosed that Nigerian youths constituted the majority. He described the trend as “very worrisome and counterproductive.” Figures from the Ministry of Interior show a surge in passport application every month seeking to migrate to other countries.   This speaks volumes about the leadership failure in the country. The development reflects the frustration and disillusionment of many Nigerians. 

Undoubtedly, the growing number of Nigerians repudiating their citizenship has added to the numerous challenges confronting the country. Nigeria is at a tipping point now, with collapsing education and health sectors. The Nigerian situation is not inspiring to the citizens, especially the youths. Every passing day, hope is fading in the country. In fact, renouncing one’s citizenship is one of the most sensitive decisions anyone can make. Those concerned must have weighed the options available before renouncing their citizenship. But for many Nigerians, young and old, it has become increasingly tough to cope with the seeming hopelesness in the country. Nigerians are daily migrating to countries in Europe and America because of the economic hardship at home. The “Japa” syndrome is also predicated on the vision of a better life abroad. 

FEBRUARY 06, 2023

 …says 70% tickets originating from Nigeria sold by foreign agents

BY  Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Travel agents under the auspices of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) say they have lost about $500m revenue between February 2022 and date as a result of a significant drop in ticket sales, as foreign airlines whose funds are trapped in the country are denying them business opportunities.

Airfares have risen to almost 400 percent to all international destinations as foreign airlines operating in Nigeria blocked all low ticket inventories on their websites and have since continued to sell the highest inventories, making it difficult for passengers to buy affordable tickets through local travel agents.

The airlines also stopped travel agents in Nigeria from issuing tickets emanating from other countries into Nigeria in a bid to reduce the amount of money that would be trapped in Nigeria.

The development has seen Nigerian travellers by-pass local travel agents to purchase tickets from agents in Ghana and other African countries due to skyrocketing fares as a result of the $550 million blocked funds.

“Agencies are now forced to fold, leave the country or try to use neighbouring countries to sell to their customers. Nigeria travel market continues to be at the losing end with the airlines being indifferent to the plight of travellers and as a body we are left with no option than to call on the government to be more strategic, deliberate and direct in resolving this multifaceted dilemma,” Susan Akporiaye, president NANTA said during an interview session on Friday.

Akporiaye said that international airlines were seeing full flights to Nigeria but local travel agents sold less than 30 percent of all the tickets that originated from Nigeria.

She said since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) started remitting foreign airlines’ trapped funds, no significant impact was achieved as airlines continue with even higher fares as though they determine what happens in Nigeria.

BusinessDay’s checks show that currently, a prospective Nigerian traveller needs about N3 million to purchase an economy ticket while date changes on some airlines go as high as between N1.5m and N18m.

The NANTA president said the situation has crippled travel agents, drove clients away, and made Nigerians travel across our borders at huge security risk to connect cheaper flights.

She accused the foreign airlines of taking advantage of the trapped funds to exploit Nigerians, adding that countries also facing trapped funds crisis still access ticket inventories.

“The reaction of the foreign airlines is grossly unfair to the Nigerian travelling public and to us as a nation with a seeming disdain to the existing cordial business relationship. This gravely threatens our survival as travel practitioners in Nigeria.

“The suffocating profiteering practice by the majority of the foreign airlines is unbelievable and unexplainable in a Nigeria market that is ranked by many indices of International Air Transport Association (IATA) as one of the best in Africa as well as the best post-COVID recovery rates across Africa and the Middle East. The Nigerian market should be applauded, but the reverse is the case,” Akporiaye said.

She said the airlines ought to respect and appreciate the impact of the traffic the Nigerian market offers and seek better ways to ensure there is mutual benefit in tandem with the current reality.

She said the trade rules were obnoxious and not consistent with global best practices, and the fares unjustifiably high, all in reaction to trapped funds. She called on the government to wade into the situation and bring normalcy to the sector.

“We hold the stand that the government still retains the responsibility to commit to agreements with airlines to protect the sector and call the airlines to order when there are obvious excesses from them that puts the entire industry in jeopardy; because the current fare structure and practices are exploitative to Nigerian travellers as well as agencies who provide a reasonable number of jobs for our country.

“This heavy cost to Nigerian travellers is unnecessary. We strongly request the airlines to open inventories to tally with what obtains in similar markets,” she said.

In December 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) ranked Nigeria tops among five markets with blocked funds

IATA revealed that the top five markets with blocked funds (excluding Venezuela) are: Nigeria: $551 million, Pakistan: $225 million, Bangladesh: $208 million, Lebanon: $144 million and Algeria: $140 million.

In the last one year, foreign airlines have been finding it difficult to access their funds from tickets sold in the country as a result of foreign exchange scarcity and have resorted to buying dollars from the black market for as high as N700 to a dollar against CBN’s N429 to a dollar rate.

The trapped funds have since February last year grown from $100 million to over $ 550 million, making it very difficult for airlines to operate seamlessly.

“People are travelling back to Nigeria, even though our sales are not showing the volume, it is cheaper for people to buy tickets outside Nigeria than buy from Nigeria because the naira exchange rate is very high. The airlines are opening cheaper ticket inventories outside Nigeria but closed these inventories in Nigeria.

“If you enter the aircraft coming into Nigeria, they are still full. People are coming home and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority is losing five percent on every ticket that is not bought from Nigeria. If we are losing five percent and the plane is full, it means Nigeria is like a dumping ground,” Bankole Bernard, managing director/Founder Finchglow Travels and former NANTA president, said.

FEBRUARY 07, 2023

As part of efforts to appreciate customer loyalty, continued patronage and support, MTN Nigeria has launched a state-of-the-art lounge at the Murtala Mohammed

International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. The exclusive access facility located at the E-wing of the departure lounge is open to top-tier MTN customers (Platinum and Gold Prestige members) and provides access to complimentary amenities such as food and snacks, fully-stocked bars and free WiFi connection.

Speaking on the launch, MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Olutokun Toriola said: “Nigeria is without a doubt one of the major gateways to the African continent. We, at MTN Nigeria recognise our role as corporate citizens and we continue to provide comfort and ease for our customers as well as visitors and esteemed guests to our country as they go about their business in and out.”

The launch of the MTN Airport lounge further demonstrates MTN Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring its customers have access to all the tools of a modern, digitally connected world which is in line with the company’s vision of leading the delivery of a bold, new digital world to Nigerians.