ABUJA — The Senate on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to immediately renegotiate the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with China to secure reciprocal direct flight opportunities for indigenous airlines, threatening a complete review of existing privileges if equal access is denied.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), and supported by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) during plenary.
Leading the debate, Senator Monguno noted that the current air agreement—signed under the previous administration—has failed to deliver equitable commercial benefits to Nigerian carriers despite robust bilateral trade between both nations reaching $18 billion in the first half of 2025.
He emphasized that securing direct flights operated by local airlines would strengthen trade ties, drastically reduce transit travel time, streamline supply chains, and prevent massive foreign exchange flight.
Highlighting demographic demands, the motion noted that over one million Nigerians currently reside in or frequently travel to China for business, alongside more than 500,000 Chinese nationals residing in Nigeria.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio warned that Nigeria must no longer grant foreign airlines unhindered landing rights without guaranteeing reciprocal operational slots for domestic airlines at international hubs.
Following extensive deliberations, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to renegotiate the commercial terms and operational schedules of the Nigeria-China BASA. It also mandated the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate diplomatic talks with Beijing to facilitate business visas for Nigerian merchants and secure landing slots for local operators.
During the session, the upper legislative chamber formally rejected a proposal to revive the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Air, describing past attempts as unproductive, while charging the executive to explore sustainable avenues for establishing a viable national carrier to ease international travel hurdles for citizens.
The Senate mandated its Committees on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to monitor compliance with the directive and report back within four weeks.
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