Travel and aviation experts have declared that for Nigeria to realise its full potential in tourism, it must establish a national carrier to buoy the sector.
The experts spoke at the just concluded Aviation Summit 2025 conference themed: “Governance Strategies for Aligning Aviation Development with Sustainable Tourism Goals,” organised by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Nigeria.
According to the experts, all the countries that have developed their aviation industry in Africa have national airlines.
Currently, the projected revenue contained in a global travel industry database released by Statista, indicates that Nigeria’s travel sector will generate about $2.953 billion by the end of 2025 and the revenue is expected to rise to $3.746 billion by 2027.
However, the experts said that the revenue would multiply if a national carrier is established to support the sector.
Travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, in his presentation said some countries establish national airlines to use them and support tourism and trade and gave example with South Africa Airways (SAA), which has recorded losses over the years, but the airline has supported tourism and trade that rake in billions of dollars to South Africa economy every year.
According to him, top countries that are doing well in tourism include Morocco, Egypt, Tanzania, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Zambia, Mauritius, Cape Verde and Seychelles, noting that most of these countries have national airlines.
“Every country that is doing well in tourism is doing well because of a national carrier. It is not possible to drive your tourism now without an airline. So, if we want to develop our tourism, the airline has to come in. And a private airline is only responsible to its shareholders. They are only interested in profit. But a national airline is not driven by profit, but by national interest.
“So, it can market tourism. You cannot force a private airline to market your tourism. I am having event in Ghana, the national airline of Rwanda is already sponsoring it. The national airline of Italy is sponsoring it. They are doing it to extend their country’s brand,” Uko said.
