In a significant legal development, a federal high court in Lagos has nullified the sale of a 49% stake in Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines. On August 5, Judge Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa declared the stake sale null and void, impacting the future of the national carrier project.

The decision came after a lawsuit filed by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and five other prominent aviation industry stakeholders: Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited. These plaintiffs challenged the entire bidding and selection process for Nigeria Air, arguing that the choice of Ethiopian Airlines as a partner was flawed and unjust.

Judge Lewis-Allagoa’s ruling also instructed that the government’s efforts to establish Nigeria Air should be halted. This judgment effectively puts a hold on the planned establishment of the new national carrier, which had been promoted by the Ministry of Aviation under the leadership of former minister Hadi Sirika.

The controversy surrounding Nigeria Air began in 2023 when the Ministry of Aviation unveiled the project just days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The sudden announcement and subsequent sale of the stake to Ethiopian Airlines raised concerns among local aviation stakeholders about the fairness and transparency of the process.

With the court’s decision, the future of Nigeria Air remains uncertain, and the implications of this ruling could have a lasting impact on the Nigerian aviation sector and its planned national carrier.