The Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday gave reasons why the national carrier project was suspended.
Recall that the new national carrier, Nigeria Air, unveiled in July during the Farnborough Airshow in London, was suspended indefinitely last Wednesday.
Lai Mohammed, revealed to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos yesterday during the official opening of the multi-million dollar state-of-the-art in-flight catering facility, that the project was suspended because of the lack of interest and unresponsiveness of the investors.
“If the understanding of government at the beginning was that the project might be self-financing or the project would be financed by investors and you think that such a project can no longer be sponsored by investors, either because they are not forthcoming or such venture can no longer be viable, the government is at the discretion to take a decision.
“The position of government in business is to provide the enabling environment and it is not to become the sole source of finance or funding and in addition, there is much more than funding in trying to get our national carrier. So, the Federal Government thinks this thing should be stepped down now until we get a better funding structure.” He said.
