Economy: FG urged to strengthen local airlines

The Executive Sec­retary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Rev. Uja Tor Uja, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen local airlines in the country to make them global product and also give them enhanced leverage so that they can compete with other air­lines.

Uja stated this at the closing ceremony of the conference of pilgrimage and managers of Nige­ria.

He said he is optimis­tic that if the Federal Government looked into the aviation sector and strengthened it, and built up the capacity of the local airlines it would help the operation of ac­tivities from Nigeria.

“We have massive number of people that travel on pilgrimages annually. Hence, if ade­quately empowered, Ni­gerian airline operators will be able to compete and not left out in the business.

“We want to call on indigenous airline op­erator to lift up their game and operate flight for us to Jerusalem, be­cause it will also help to strengthen Nigeria economy, and in areas of direct flight.

According to Uja, for­eign airlines operating in Nigeria have to go to their home country before proceeding, but if we have direct flight there will not be prob­lem of stopover which causes delay in flight movement most times.

“We have also dia­logued with the inter­national community to ensure that obtaining visa for pilgrimage will be easy. We have rela­tionship with Israel and other countries offering pilgrim services. Hence pilgrims that are travel­ling will get to know a month ahead of his trip,” he stated.