Nigeria’s aviation sector is facing what industry stakeholders describe as a full-blown emergency, as rising fuel costs and mounting financial pressures threaten the survival of airlines and the wider ecosystem.
In a strongly worded appeal addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative, ASRTI, warns that the sharp spike in Jet A1 prices between February and April has created a dangerous gap between global benchmarks and local depot rates, pushing operators to the brink.
The group says while international parity suggests significantly lower fuel prices, Nigerian airlines have been forced to buy at nearly double that level, worsening liquidity challenges and triggering a chain reaction across airports, concessionaires and ground handling companies.
According to ASRTI, in the letter jointly signed by it president retired Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju, and its General Secretary, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, the situation has been further complicated by debt pressures within the sector, with service providers now threatening disruptions over unpaid obligations.
The group cautions that if airlines collapse, the entire aviation value chain could follow, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
To avert this, ASRTI is calling for urgent government intervention, including a temporary mechanism to correct Jet A1 pricing disparities and short-term financial support for airlines to ease cash flow pressures.
It insists such measures must be transparent, time-bound and tied strictly to safety and operational performance.
The appeal also highlights the need to cushion other stakeholders while reforms take effect, alongside stronger regulatory oversight to address pricing distortions and ensure fair competition across the fuel supply chain.
Beyond the immediate crisis, the group is urging comprehensive reforms in aviation charges and a long-term strategy to grow the sector, improve connectivity and attract investment.
ASRTI maintains that time is running out, warning that failure to act decisively could cripple a sector it describes as a critical driver of Nigeria’s economy.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen