Aviation expert, Dr Alex Nwuba, has challenged the criticisms of state-owned airlines in Nigeria, saying the government-backed carriers could become the foundation of a major aviation revival if properly structured and supported by a national policy.

Speaking with The Guardian against the backdrop of renewed debate on the viability of state-funded carriers, Nwuba said much of the industry commentaries focused on political interference and financial waste while overlooking the sector’s structural deficiencies.

According to him, Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem suffers from capacity gaps that the private sector has been unable to fill over the years, despite the sector being deregulated approximately 40 years ago.

Despite handling an estimated 16 million passengers in 2024, Nigerian airlines typically operate fleets of four to six active aircraft, limiting connectivity and suppressing growth, he said.

He noted that Lagos airport alone accounted for almost half of the country’s passenger traffic, with about seven million passengers, followed by Abuja with about 5 million. Yet, domestic carriers remained too small to drive expansion or compete regionally, he said.

Nwuba argued that the real advantage of state-owned airlines lay in their ability to access long-term government capital.States, he said, could provide seed funding for aircraft acquisition and infrastructure development and investments that private operators often avoided due to high costs and risks.

With proper planning, such airlines, Nwuba said, could transition into public-private partnership (PPP) companies, leasing arrangements or even partial privatisation.

“The issue is not state ownership. The issue is poor planning. With vision and structured investment, state-owned carriers can catalyse the aviation industry and stimulate private-sector participation,” he said.

Besides, he cited Ibom Air as an example of what strategic state investment could achieve.The Akwa Ibom-owned carrier transported over 1.3 million passengers in 2024, ranking among the top three Nigerian airlines in recent years.

The airline’s expansion, fleet consistency and investment in training, he noted, demonstrated that government-backed airlines could succeed when insulated from politics and guided by a business-driven strategy.

Nwuba, in his comparative analysis of Nigeria’s performance with leading African aviation markets, said that the country still had a lot of ground to cover.

For instance, he said, Ethiopian Airlines carried over 19 million passengers in 2024/25 with a fleet exceeding 145 aircraft, while South Africa moved 36 million passengers in 2024, which was more than double Nigeria’s total passengers.

These comparisons, he added, showed the massive growth potential still untapped in the Nigerian market.He stressed that for state-owned airlines to become sustainable, the Federal Government must enact coherent aviation policies, including tax reforms and streamlined charges, to lower operational costs and stimulate demand.

Aligning airports, regulators and carriers under a coordinated national framework, Nwuba emphasised, would also help create a unified growth strategy.

He further highlighted the role of aviation in Africa’s economic integration, pointing to Nigeria’s commitment to accelerated implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the growing importance of aviation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to him, Nigeria’s newly launched AfCFTA air corridor, linking Lagos with Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa, had already cut export logistics costs by up to 75 per cent, showing aviation’s potential to boost trade.

He added: “State-owned carriers can play a decisive role if managed with a clear strategy and accountability. What some see as waste today may ultimately be the spark that powers Nigeria’s emergence as Africa’s aviation powerhouse.”