Why foreign airlines rule Nigeria’s skies

Adedayo Olawuyi, Chief Commercial Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, attributes the strong presence of foreign airlines in Nigeria's aviation sector to the lack of robust domestic carriers capable of effective competition. He noted that airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Asky Airlines maintain their market dominance by providing extensive networks that allow Nigerian passengers to connect to numerous global destinations.

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The challenge we have in Nigerian aviation space today, where we are dominated by foreign carriers, is because of a lack of strength of the domestic carriers.

Olawuyi explained that Nigerian airlines need to enhance their regional operations and establish direct flight services across West Africa to effectively challenge foreign competitors. He pointed out that passengers traveling to destinations like Dakar often face indirect routes through multiple hubs, such as Lome and Abidjan, when using carriers like Asky. Olawuyi believes Nigerian carriers should offer direct services from Lagos to such destinations.

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The point I am making is we have seen a dominance of foreign carriers because we do not have strong domestic and regional operators.

Operating regional routes presents challenges for local airlines, particularly regarding the commercial sustainability of deploying large aircraft on routes with low passenger traffic. Olawuyi suggested that airlines need to "right-size" their operations, matching aircraft capacity with market demand. He also emphasized the importance of market stimulation, suggesting that new routes can potentially double passenger numbers within a year, even if initial data appears unpromising. Infrastructure limitations were also cited as a significant impediment for Nigerian carriers aiming to compete with international airlines.

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Why can’t a Nigerian carrier give them direct service from Lagos?