The Nigerian Senate has issued a firm warning to the Federal Government over the country’s aviation relationship with China, threatening to review the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between both nations unless Nigerian airlines are granted reciprocal rights to operate direct flights to the Asian country. The resolution, reached during plenary on Tuesday, followed a motion sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, who represents Borno North, and seconded by Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi of Bauchi Central.
A Call for Fairness in the Skies
At the heart of the debate was a simple but pressing question of equity. Lawmakers argued that Nigeria should no longer accept an arrangement in which Chinese carriers enjoy access to its aviation market while Nigerian airlines are denied comparable opportunities. The upper chamber therefore urged the Federal Government to renegotiate the agreement in order to protect the interests of Nigerian carriers and ensure that both countries enjoy equal opportunities in international air travel.
Leading the debate, Monguno recalled that Nigeria and China signed the Bilateral Air Service Agreement under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, with the aim of establishing direct commercial air links and regulating flight operations between the two countries. He expressed concern, however, that the agreement had not delivered the reciprocal benefits expected by Nigerian airlines.
Trade Numbers Underscore the Stakes
Monguno presented striking figures to illustrate the scale of the relationship at stake. Bilateral trade between Nigeria and China reached $18bn in the first half of 2025, representing a 25 per cent increase year-on-year, compared with a total trade volume of $28bn in 2024. He also highlighted the growing populations and deepening economic ties between both nations as compelling reasons to improve direct air connectivity.
“The population of Nigerians in China is more than 1 million people, while that of Chinese in Nigeria is more than 500,000,” he said. “This has generated the interest of China in Nigeria because it is Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, offering massive markets on the African continent.”
According to the lawmaker, effective implementation of the agreement would position Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja as major aviation gateways linking West and Central Africa to East Asia. He listed reduced travel time, improved supply chains, increased airline revenues, foreign exchange retention and expanded opportunities for small and medium-scale enterprises among the benefits that direct flights would deliver. Improved air connectivity, he added, would also support non-oil exports, particularly agricultural products, and strengthen Nigeria’s international trade.
Monguno called on the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Customs Service to work towards effective implementation of the agreement.
Concerns Beyond Aviation
Supporting the motion, Ningi described the proposal as patriotic but used the occasion to raise concerns about the activities of Chinese nationals in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector. He alleged that some Chinese mining operations in parts of Bauchi State and other locations might be operating without complying with all relevant legal requirements. The senator specifically cited mining activities in communities within his constituency bordering Kaduna and Plateau states, expressing concern over the scale of operations, the equipment deployed and the alleged exportation of raw minerals without sufficient local processing. He called for stronger government oversight to ensure that Nigeria derives adequate economic benefits from its mineral resources.
On the aviation agreement, Ningi lamented that Nigerians travelling to China often had to connect through countries such as Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom because Nigerian airlines lacked direct flights to China. He urged the Federal Government to support domestic carriers to operate international routes, naming Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines, Azman Air and Ibom Air as airlines that could be encouraged to expand their operations to China, subject to regulatory and operational requirements. He argued that Nigeria should not continue granting Chinese airlines access to its aviation market without securing equivalent opportunities for Nigerian carriers, and consequently called for a review of the agreement if China failed to guarantee reciprocal flight rights.
Renewed Push for a National Carrier
Contributing to the debate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, called for the revival of a national airline, saying Nigeria needed a strong indigenous carrier to compete effectively in the international aviation market. He recalled the defunct Nigerian Airways, noting that the country once operated a sizeable fleet and maintained international routes.
Akpabio expressed concern about the pressure on domestic airlines during peak travel periods, particularly in December, when demand for air travel increases significantly. He argued that a national carrier would improve connectivity, retain foreign exchange within the country and ease the difficulties faced by air travellers. He urged the Federal Government to reconsider the establishment of a national airline and commended Monguno for sponsoring the motion, while calling on the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance to work with the Ministries of Aviation and Foreign Affairs to ensure the implementation of the resolutions.
Senator Mustapha Khabeeb, representing Jigawa South-West, supported the call for a national carrier but said the focus should be on reviving Air Nigeria rather than the defunct Nigerian Airways. He argued that a functional national airline would enable Nigeria to operate direct international routes, generate foreign exchange and strengthen its position in the global aviation industry. Senator Mohammed Ogoshi of Nasarawa South also backed the call for strict reciprocity, supporting Ningi’s proposal that Nigerian airlines should enjoy the same flight privileges granted to Chinese carriers.
Resolutions and Next Steps
Following deliberations, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to renegotiate the commercial terms and operational schedules of the existing Nigeria-China Bilateral Air Service Agreement. It also urged the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate diplomatic discussions with Chinese authorities on facilitating business visas for Nigerian traders and securing reciprocal allocation of flight slots for Nigerian airlines.
The lawmakers adopted Ningi’s proposal urging the Federal Government to enforce strict reciprocity by ensuring that Nigerian airlines enjoy direct flight opportunities to China on the same basis as Chinese carriers operating in Nigeria. The Senate indicated that the agreement should be reviewed if the required reciprocal arrangements could not be secured, and mandated its Committees on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to monitor compliance with the resolutions and report back within four weeks.
Although the proposal for a national carrier received support during the debate, the Senate noted that a separate substantive motion would be required for further legislative consideration. For now, the chamber’s message is clear: Nigeria’s aviation market should not remain open to foreign carriers while its own airlines are left on the tarmac.
