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United Nigeria gets NOD for Flights to USA, UK, Netherlands, Italy, UAE, Ireland

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The United Nigeria Airlines, one of the leading airlines in the country, has received approval for operation of international flights.

According to the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development’s approval, the airline would operate international flights to United States of America, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A letter dated September 8, 2023 conveying this approval from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, signed by Director, Air Transport Management, Mr. H.T. Ejiburu, on behalf of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, to the United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, said the approval was in line with subsisting Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and each of the countries.

The letter reads: “I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 2nd August 2023 on the above subject and convey the Honourable Minister’s approval for the designation of Messrs United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited to operate international flight operations to the undermentioned countries and cities: Netherlands (Amsterdam), Italy (Rome), United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Dubai), United Kingdom (London), United States of America (USA) (Houston) and Ireland (Dublin).

“The designation of Messrs United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited is in line with the subsisting Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the governments of the six mentioned countries.

“Consequently, the airline is hereby advised to liaise with the Civil Aviation Authorities of the aforementioned countries for documentation prior to commencement of scheduled flight operations. However, you are obliged to comply with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation (Nig. CARs (2023) Part 18.5.1.1 A-C by taking further steps to liaise with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in fulfilling the requirements if necessary.

“Kindly note that the approval has been communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its further necessary actions.”

United Nigeria Airlines, with Prof Obiora Okonkwo OFR as Chairman, started flight operations in 2021and operate scheduled flights in major Nigerian cities. The Airline had earlier obtained approval for Regional flights based on which that they are finalising arrangements to commence regional operations in couple of weeks upon arrival of their additional aircraft from middle of October.

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Senate Constitutes Abdullahi Yahaya Tax Harmonisation Committee

Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

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The Senate on Thursday constituted a committee saddled with the responsibility of harmonizing its amendments to the tax reform bills with the House of Representatives version for final transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during plenary after the passage of the bills.

Akpabio named senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North) as chairman of the committee.

The members of the committee as announced by the Senate President are Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), Chief Whip, Tahir Mongumo (APC, Borno North), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), and Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West).

Earlier, the remaining two Tax Reform Bills — the Nigeria Tax Bill 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

This was in addition to passage of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025, and the Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, 2025.

Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

The passage of the bills was sequel to the consideration and adoption of a report of the Senate Committee on Finance presented by its Chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).

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Meta’s Exit to Throw 20 million Nigerian MSMEs Out of Business

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association reported that Nigerian MSMEs rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility.

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A Digital Marketing Consultant at EssenceMediacom, Olayinka Shobola, believes that a shutdown of Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria would deal a serious blow to Nigeria’s digital economy, especially millions of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association reported that Nigerian MSMEs rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility.

“Meta Platforms’ threat to halt operations in Nigeria could devastate 56 percent of the nation’s 39.6 players in the information technology space,” Shobola said, stressing that such an exit would erode tax revenues and force businesses to seek costly alternatives, as a $290 million fine dispute with regulators intensifies.

“Businesses that built their brands on Meta’s platforms would face immediate challenges.

The platforms have become essential tools for business survival and growth in Africa’s largest economy, where SMEs contribute nearly 50 per cent to GDP and represent more than 96 per cent of registered businesses.

“Most likely affected businesses will pivot to platforms like X or TikTok for short-term survival, but long-term, they’ll need to invest in standalone e-commerce or offline channels,” Shobola said.

“Jobs will take a hit; marketers, influencers, and agencies will lose contracts overnight.”

Statista forecasts a $148.2m social media ad market in 2025, with Facebook commanding up to $120m, driven by 38 million ad-reachable users.“My shop practically lives on these platforms, especially Instagram,” Lagos-based baker Fatima Tunde said. “If it’s gone, I’m out of business.”

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UAE Invests in $25bn African- Atlantic Gas Pipeline

The gas pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas network with Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla and then go northward toward Europe.

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Gas pipelines

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said that the UAE is now one of the supporters of the Nigeria to Morocco gas pipeline project, which is estimated to cost $25 billion.

“The project now called the “African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline”, has won the support of IDB, OPEC Fund, EIB and the UAE,” Benali told Nigerian lawmakers, this week.

Benali also said that Morocco has finished all the feasibility and engineering studies needed for the pipeline.

Moroccan industry experts said that the project has already passed the feasibility study and Front End Engineering Design stages.

The gas pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas network with Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla and then go northward toward Europe.

The line will pass through 15 African countries, boosting trade, development, and access to electricity in the region.

In Phase One, it will link Morocco to gas fields near Senegal and Mauritania, and connect Ghana to the Ivory Coast.

Phase Two will link Nigeria to Ghana, while Phase Three will connect the Ivory Coast to Senegal.

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