Nigeria Content Online

Nasarawa State
Governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma and members of the People’s Democratic Party
in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHOA), yesterday, were in a
meeting to discuss what members say was to find a resolution to the
21-point allegation by some indigenes who are pushing for the
impeachment of the governor. The assembly has shelved its sitting since
Monday when all the 24 members received stamped copies of the petition.
However, the Deputy Speaker, Joshua Agadu; the House Committee Chairman
on Information, Baba Ibaku, and the leading opposition voice in the
House, Innocent Lagi (Wamba, Labour Party) drove into the complex on
Monday for the day’s sitting. They did not form a quorum and had to
leave after frantic calls to other members.

The speaker, Musa
Ahmed Mohammed was away in Abuja attending the Speakers’ conference,
according to his Press Secretary, Ibrahim Tanko.

Yesterday’s
meeting with the governor took place in Government House, Lafia and
members refused to brief the press after the meeting. But the House
Committee Chairman on Information, Baba Ibaku phoned severally to make
threats on this reporter as he rained insults on him.

He expressed
unhappiness over an earlier report on his visit to the complex, Monday,
for the day’s sitting which was aborted in order to stop the petition
from being read on the floor.

The 21-point
allegation, that the sum of about N70 billion was allegedly stolen by
the administration of Mr Doma since 2007, is before the House with a
demand for members to begin impeachment proceedings to remove him from
office.

Mr Adamu denies link

Copies of the
petition were sent to anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC as
well as labour and trade unions, women and religious organizations and
the Emir of Lafia, Mustapha Agwai. It was signed by five indigenes of
the state:

Is’haka Salihu, Ogah Doma; Samuel Alu, Daniel Ogah Ogazi, Mohammed Bala and Philemon Eka.

In the petition
titled “A Demand for the Impeachment and Removal of Governor Aliyu Akwe
Doma”, the petitioners demand an impeachment of the governor by the
House, urging members to invoke Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution to
do so.

Meanwhile, the
former governor of the state, Abdullahi Adamu, has denied any links
with the group behind the allegation. Speaking during a visit to the
governor’s campaign office in Lafia, Mr Adamu said he fully backed the
governor’s second term bid.

“Between you and me and God, I am hearing this (insinuations of his
involvement) for the first time. It is too bad if the media says so.
But that will not make me to panic,” he said. “I am behind Doma’s bid
for second term. I have my convictions. Once I dedicate myself to
anything, I do it.” Mr Adamu said his visit to Doma’s campaign office
was planned long before the petition, and must not be seen as a
self-clearing visit. “I had a date to come, I had notified them of my
coming,” he said.

The just concluded 16th United Nations climate change conference
in Cancun, Mexico, marked a turning point for the struggle by African countries
to get a United Nations mechanism compelling developed countries to fund
programmes on the continent to cushion the impact of climate change on
Africans.

At the close of the conference, a new climate funding mechanism,
known as the Green Climate Fund, was established under the conference of
parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Forestry conservation and protection also became part of the strategic
agreement, meaning vulnerable and indigenous people whose livelihood are
depended on forestry now stand to benefit.

The implication of the Cancun Agreement for Africa is
overwhelming. The continent now has the opportunity to access funds and
technology that would assist her adapt to the vulnerability of climate change.

At the conference, the continent, through the African Group,
displayed its commitment to the African position by calling attention to how
vulnerable the continent is and how climate change is already impacting the
livelihoods of millions of Africans.

Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, and South Africa were the vocal
countries whose voices were heard in all plenary and all sessions demanding for
a fair and just deal that will not jeopardise the interest of Africa.

But the giant of Africa, Nigeria, was completely missing from
the scene. Statistics from the conference organisers showed that the country
had the largest contingent to the conference from Africa.

A document from the ministry of environment said “Nigeria will
proactively play a leading role amongst developing countries to influence the
African positions, align with G77+ China negotiating block, and emphasise the
principle of equity and the right to develop within the framework of common but
differentiated responsibilities and capabilities.”

But in the first week of the conference, delegates from other
countries and non-governmental organisation delegates from Nigeria were
disturbed by the clear absence of Nigeria, which hitherto had played a
leadership role in the African Group.

Investigations on why the country was missing from such an
important global conference showed that while other countries were busy
negotiating and forming the global architecture of an all-inclusive climate
change treaty, the country was locked in a power tussle over who heads the
Nigeria climate change unit.

The financial resources to sponsor delegates to the conference
was also not available and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
office in Nigeria had to come to the rescue by offsetting the travel and
accommodation cost of most of the delegates who only spent one out of the two
weeks that the conference lasted.

An official of the ministry of environment, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the situation regarding Nigeria’s participation
was a disgrace.

“The problem about Nigeria’s participation at the Cancun
conference are many,” the source said.

“An initial list of delegates contained names of people who have
no reason coming to Cancun, more than three quarter of the money allocated for
the conference in the 2010 budget was almost spent before the conference
started, and personal ambition and interest in the climate change unit over
Nigeria’s interest caused unnecessary delay for delegates who were to represent
the country.”

Victor Fodeke, Nigeria’s climate change focal person and head of
the climate change unit at the ministry of environment, was removed from office
shortly before the conference started in a style that was not compatible with
existing civil service rules.

Calls to the minister of Environment, John Odey, for comments on
the issue went unanswered.

Folade Adesina, an environmentalist with Global Environment
Watch, said at the conference that the country’s no show at Cancun was a
reflection of how low the government rated issues of environment and climate
change in particular.

“Climate change has become another money making window for
government officials; how it impacts the ordinary citizen is not important to
them,” Mr. Adesina said.

Hassan Ibn of the Climate Alliance Network said Nigeria had the
highest representation from Africa to the conference, yet their voices were not
heard anywhere.

“The Nigerian contingents were in complete disarray, no
coordination, no agenda to pursue, you hardly find them speaking in sessions.
But at home, government is shouting ‘we are the most vulnerable’,” Mr. Ibn
said.

Wasted opportunity

Smaller countries have taken over the leadership role on climate
change on the continent while Nigeria, which would be one of the hardest hit
countries as a result of climate change, went to sleep.

One is, therefore, not surprised that Meles Zewani, prime
minister of Ethiopia, was nominated as a co-chair of the UN secretary general’s
high level committee to recommend how the world would find the 100 billion
dollars needed to address the impact of climate change in developing countries
by 2020.

A visit to Ethiopia’s stand at the just concluded Cancun
conference speaks volume of how the country had used the opportunity and
platform of the conference to woo investors to the various sectors of her
economy.

South Africa was granted the right to host the 2011 climate
change and had a visible exhibition area at the Cancun conference to discuss
and interact with investors.

Efe Joseph, a representative of the Nigeria’s indigenous peoples
at the conference, said South Africa “is in charge of climate change issues in
Africa.”

A business roundtable organised by Nigeria at the conference to
woo investors was poorly attended, as less than five foreigners participated
and they were served the “usual African time” as the roundtable started six
hours after it was due to take off. It was not only ill timed, as it coincided
with the official opening ceremony of the conference, but caused thousands of
Nigerian tax payers’ dollars.

In 2009, at the Copenhagen climate change conference, Nigeria
had a stand where the country’s potentials and resources were on display. But
at Cancun, no such stand existed and government officials were holding meetings
in hotel rooms that were a two-hour drive from the conference venue.

Mr. Joseph said no attempt was made by government to promote the
plight of Nigerians in the Niger Delta at the conference.

“We all saw the impact and the role of Bolivia at the
conference; Bolivia, until the last minute, was campaigning for the inclusion
in the Cancun Agreement clause that favours her indigenous people,” he said.

But participants said the country can still benefit from the new
environment climate if her officials get their acts together. For instance, the
new Green Climate Fund will require representation on the board from developing
and developed countries and Nigeria can take one of the seats.

Nigeria can also strategise to host a component of the proposed technology
transfer institute that will assist developing countries.

This HR issue is a serious problem. It has got so bad that it is
no longer a laughing matter. Employers and friends would sit around a table
entertaining each other with tales of the incomprehensible or ludicrous antics
of their staff or subordinates and everyone would laugh. These days, the tales
no longer elicit laugher; they have the sobering effect of deepening the shared
realisation that we are in real trouble!

People will always have complaints about their staff. It is as
natural as parents complaining about their teenagers. What comforts parents is
the knowledge that those rebellious teens are just a phase their children are
going through on their way to adulthood and responsibility. What frightens
employers is that this HR issue does not seem like a phase. It has taken on the
appearance of an end, or a trend that is gathering momentum. What do we do? And
what are we talking about anyway when we refer to ‘this HR issue’?

The principal role of HRM – Human Resource Management – is to
have the right people, with the right skills, doing the right jobs, at the
right times, to the right standards. It is about finding and deploying the
person who best fits the task required. Sometimes, finding people would include
identifying potential staff, people with the right attitude and capability, and
developing them through training to fit the task.

Deploying people would include inducting them to the workplace;
preparing their workspace; sharing the policies, procedures, rules &
regulations with them; planning for how much manpower is needed where and when;
managing staff performance by rewarding hard work and keeping discipline; and
caring for staff welfare.

Once upon a time, it was a simple matter to find the right
person – simply invite people who had been specifically trained for the task
through apprenticeship or formal education. Interview them to make sure they
had the right attitude towards service and hard work. Check their references to
make sure they had good backgrounds and then put them to work and address their
grievances when they came up.

Their sole expectation was regular payment of their wages; many
did not even expect that they would be treated as human beings, just as hands
to do the required work. As work progressed from manual to skilled labour, the
formula more or less remained the same.

Today, ask around. Ask anyone, be they in business, government
or petty trading if they can find the staff they need. Most will answer with a
resounding NO!

We are not talking about a lack of applicants for work – they
abound in almost unmanageable numbers. Recruiting companies can tell you a tale
or two about thousands of applicants appearing for a handful of jobs. You can
find staff easily, simply not the staff you need. Employers spend inordinate
amount of time interviewing candidates for vacant positions. These days,
employers find themselves spending a remarkable amount of time convincing their
unreliable but good staff to stay in their employ, because it is becoming
increasingly difficult to find capable staff, reliable or not. They are also
confronted with the unbelievable scenario of having a member of staff who,
although desperate to find a job after months and sometimes years of being
unemployed, becomes nonchalant about their duties after just a couple of weeks
on the job.

Limited by lack

It is nothing new. It is all about education – academic and
non-academic learning – and about wisdom.

What employers are discovering is that their staff are people
who care only about themselves and not about where they work; who come in
without skills and move on the minute they are trained. They have people who
have not factored work as an enabler to help them buy houses or cars, or to pay
for the care and education of their children. They expect it to all happen
somehow. They have employees who see no harm in letting their employer down,
abandoning work abruptly or not handing their responsibilities over to someone
else who is capable of doing the work.

Why is it an issue that employers cannot find the right staff?
How will enterprises and businesses grow if there are no people they can trust
to do their work well? We will be constrained to keep our dreams small, and our
workload manageable; limited to what we can supervise ourselves.

A good friend has branches of his business selling products all
over the country. He only makes money in the units either managed by himself,
his family members, or family friends. In the rest of the branches, if he is
not losing money to fraud, he is losing it to lack of customer service by his
staff.

Recently, more and more clients are calling me to diagnose what
they need to do to motivate their professional staff to perform their roles and
deliver business results. The staff earn good salaries and are paid regularly.
They have all the benefits due to them by law and more besides. They also have
supportive and approachable managers and leaders to go to for help and
guidance. What are they lacking that has not been provided?

This is a serious problem! The challenge before us is how we can
initially overcome this HR issue, and eventually solve it before it permanently
stunts our growth as a people and as a nation.

The national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Victor
Umeh, yesterday told the former minister of information and communication, Dora
Akunyili, to be prepared to compete with other party aspirants who have
indicated their intention to contest the senatorial election in the Anambra
Central Senatorial District. Mr. Umeh stated this at the party national
secretariat in Abuja where Mrs. Akunyili went to purchase the nomination forms.
A form costs N3.5 million.

The national chairman noted that although the entry of the
former minister into the APGA would attracted attention and popularity to the
party, the practice of internal democracy by the party would not guarantee her
an automatic ticket.

“Your joining us today will add to our party,” he said. “All
that you have been doing about rebranding, you will bring it to our party. We
know that where you are leaving, they will not be happy but APGA is in your
constituency.

This is a wise decision you have taken and we wish you well. Any
party would love to have you. APGA is happy to have her seek the nomination of our
party to serve. It is a great thing that this great woman that has served in
various capacities quit her party to join us. You are welcome to our party. If
not for internal democracy that is required, we would have been talking about
other things. But we are going to give all of you an even playing ground. You
have to compete with others who have declared their interest to contest the
same position.”

The APGA boss described the party as a “mustard seed” which
holds the core values of democracy in great respect, adding that its leadership
has rebranded it.

Mrs. Akunyili said that she was happy that the party would not
give her an automatic ticket to contest the election because, according to her,
it would create anger and rancor. She, however, expressed hope that she would
emerge the nominee during the primaries to contest the main election.

“I pray that by the grace of God, I will be the nominee to the
senate,” she said. “If I don’t get it, I will support whoever gets it. Politics
should not be a do-or-die affair. When people talk about winning, winning,
winning all the time, it creates problems.”

Woman of the people

The former minister who was accompanied by a group of women
dressed in the same attire as well as aides said if elected a senator, she would
give the Anambra Central Senatorial District effective representation.

“They will be happy that their daughter is in the senate and
they will get their dues from the federal government,” she said.

Mrs. Akunyili also assured listeners that she would help the
party deepen internal democracy in Nigeria and in the West Africa sub-region.
She said that she joined APGA because of the performance of Governor Peter Obi
of Anambra State. But a possible opponent of Mrs. Akunyili for the senatorial
ticket of the APGA, George Ibezimako Ozodinobi, has described her decision to
run for senate on the APGA platform as nothing short of political prostitution
and a betrayal of President Goodluck Jonathan’s trust.

Mr. Ozodinobi, who represented the Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia federal
constituency under APGA from 2003 to 2007, said in Awka that Mrs. Akunyili’s
move portrayed her as politically unstable. He also said the former minister’s
decision to leave Mr. Jonathan’s camp now could be viewed as an indication that
the Igbo were not supporting him.

The minister of state for information Labaran Maku is now the
minister of information and communication following the resignation of former minister,
Dora Akunyili. Mrs. Akunyili had, on Monday, submitted her resignation letter
to President Goodluck Jonathan. An emotional Mrs. Akunyili walked into the
press briefing hall yesterday after the Federal Executive Council meeting to
confirm speculations that she may be resigning.

“Having reflected over the years about events in Nigeria and in
particular in my state, Anambra State, I have come to the conclusion that it is
a defining moment in my life when I should make the sacrifice of leaving a
comfortable place to go to a more difficult terrain in other to build a better
place for Nigeria,” she said.

“I have therefore decided to join my governor, Peter Obi, who is
doing a great job in Anambra State, in continuing to build that state as an
APGA by the grace of God. In this regard, I intend to pick the nomination form
today to run for the office of senator representing Anambra central senatorial
district.”

She then asked for the continued support and prayers of members
of the press and the public.

“As I take this step, I ask for your prayers and unflinching
support,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for your cooperation and partnership
without which I wouldn’t have succeeded as minister of information and
communications.”

Missing Akunyili

Mrs. Akunyili then made way for Mr. Maku to take the microphone.
In his speech, Mr. Maku wished his predecessor well in her new path of
politics, adding that the president had reluctantly accepted the request from
her.

“Council today was an emotional one,” he said. “As you do know,
Akunyili has made her mark in the country since her days as the
director-general of NAFDAC, later DG of Yar’Adua/Jonathan campaign organisation
and subsequently, minister of information and communication in the federal
republic. Our sister is well known to Nigerians for her doggedness, commitment
and indeed her service to our nation. Our prayers are with her in her new
service. She is a woman in search of making a mark in her country.”

Mrs. Akunyili was one of the few ministers who returned to the same
ministerial post after the dissolution of former president Umaru Yar’Adua’s
cabinet by Mr. Jonathan on resumption as acting president. She famously read a
memo demanding the ministers’ support of the transfer of power to Mr. Jonathan
when the late Mr. Yar’Adua became incapacitated earlier in the year while the
other ministers were still unwilling to publicly take a stand.

The just concluded 16th United Nations climate change conference
in Cancun, Mexico, marked a turning point for the struggle by African countries
to get a United Nations mechanism compelling developed countries to fund
programmes on the continent to cushion the impact of climate change on
Africans.

At the close of the conference, a new climate funding mechanism,
known as the Green Climate Fund, was established under the conference of
parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Forestry conservation and protection also became part of the strategic
agreement, meaning vulnerable and indigenous people whose livelihood are
depended on forestry now stand to benefit.

The implication of the Cancun Agreement for Africa is
overwhelming. The continent now has the opportunity to access funds and
technology that would assist her adapt to the vulnerability of climate change.

At the conference, the continent, through the African Group,
displayed its commitment to the African position by calling attention to how
vulnerable the continent is and how climate change is already impacting the
livelihoods of millions of Africans.

Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, and South Africa were the vocal
countries whose voices were heard in all plenary and all sessions demanding for
a fair and just deal that will not jeopardise the interest of Africa.

But the giant of Africa, Nigeria, was completely missing from
the scene. Statistics from the conference organisers showed that the country
had the largest contingent to the conference from Africa.

A document from the ministry of environment said “Nigeria will
proactively play a leading role amongst developing countries to influence the
African positions, align with G77+ China negotiating block, and emphasise the
principle of equity and the right to develop within the framework of common but
differentiated responsibilities and capabilities.”

But in the first week of the conference, delegates from other
countries and non-governmental organisation delegates from Nigeria were
disturbed by the clear absence of Nigeria, which hitherto had played a
leadership role in the African Group.

Investigations on why the country was missing from such an
important global conference showed that while other countries were busy
negotiating and forming the global architecture of an all-inclusive climate
change treaty, the country was locked in a power tussle over who heads the
Nigeria climate change unit.

The financial resources to sponsor delegates to the conference
was also not available and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
office in Nigeria had to come to the rescue by offsetting the travel and
accommodation cost of most of the delegates who only spent one out of the two
weeks that the conference lasted.

An official of the ministry of environment, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the situation regarding Nigeria’s participation
was a disgrace.

“The problem about Nigeria’s participation at the Cancun
conference are many,” the source said.

“An initial list of delegates contained names of people who have
no reason coming to Cancun, more than three quarter of the money allocated for
the conference in the 2010 budget was almost spent before the conference
started, and personal ambition and interest in the climate change unit over
Nigeria’s interest caused unnecessary delay for delegates who were to represent
the country.”

Victor Fodeke, Nigeria’s climate change focal person and head of
the climate change unit at the ministry of environment, was removed from office
shortly before the conference started in a style that was not compatible with
existing civil service rules.

Calls to the minister of Environment, John Odey, for comments on
the issue went unanswered.

Folade Adesina, an environmentalist with Global Environment
Watch, said at the conference that the country’s no show at Cancun was a
reflection of how low the government rated issues of environment and climate
change in particular.

“Climate change has become another money making window for
government officials; how it impacts the ordinary citizen is not important to
them,” Mr. Adesina said.

Hassan Ibn of the Climate Alliance Network said Nigeria had the
highest representation from Africa to the conference, yet their voices were not
heard anywhere.

“The Nigerian contingents were in complete disarray, no
coordination, no agenda to pursue, you hardly find them speaking in sessions.
But at home, government is shouting ‘we are the most vulnerable’,” Mr. Ibn
said.

Wasted opportunity

Smaller countries have taken over the leadership role on climate
change on the continent while Nigeria, which would be one of the hardest hit
countries as a result of climate change, went to sleep.

One is, therefore, not surprised that Meles Zewani, prime
minister of Ethiopia, was nominated as a co-chair of the UN secretary general’s
high level committee to recommend how the world would find the 100 billion
dollars needed to address the impact of climate change in developing countries
by 2020.

A visit to Ethiopia’s stand at the just concluded Cancun
conference speaks volume of how the country had used the opportunity and
platform of the conference to woo investors to the various sectors of her
economy.

South Africa was granted the right to host the 2011 climate
change and had a visible exhibition area at the Cancun conference to discuss
and interact with investors.

Efe Joseph, a representative of the Nigeria’s indigenous peoples
at the conference, said South Africa “is in charge of climate change issues in
Africa.”

A business roundtable organised by Nigeria at the conference to
woo investors was poorly attended, as less than five foreigners participated
and they were served the “usual African time” as the roundtable started six
hours after it was due to take off. It was not only ill timed, as it coincided
with the official opening ceremony of the conference, but caused thousands of
Nigerian tax payers’ dollars.

In 2009, at the Copenhagen climate change conference, Nigeria
had a stand where the country’s potentials and resources were on display. But
at Cancun, no such stand existed and government officials were holding meetings
in hotel rooms that were a two-hour drive from the conference venue.

Mr. Joseph said no attempt was made by government to promote the
plight of Nigerians in the Niger Delta at the conference.

“We all saw the impact and the role of Bolivia at the
conference; Bolivia, until the last minute, was campaigning for the inclusion
in the Cancun Agreement clause that favours her indigenous people,” he said.

But participants said the country can still benefit from the new
environment climate if her officials get their acts together. For instance, the
new Green Climate Fund will require representation on the board from developing
and developed countries and Nigeria can take one of the seats.

Nigeria can also strategise to host a component of the proposed technology
transfer institute that will assist developing countries.

The Abia State governor, Theodore Orji yesterday announced that
he inherited a debt of N29billion from his predecessor on assumption of office
in 2007, a burden he said had weighed his administration down until recently.
He said it was unfortunate that those who were responsible for the debt that
slowed down the pace of development projects in the state have turned round to
accuse him of non-performance.

Making the disclosure when he received the Uzuakoli Development
Association at his office, Mr. Orji said that the crushing debt burden was part
of the problem of political bondage which he had to liberate himself and Abia
people from.

“I was not given the free chance as a governor,” he said. “I was
not allowed to take major decisions because of the people who say they are
godfathers.”

He said that in spite of silently bearing the burden of the
crushing debt, he was still branded a non-performer by those who were
benefiting from it. Mr. Orji said the development made it difficult for him to
accomplish most of the projects he was supposed to achieve for the state and
assured his visitors that in his second term, the people of Abia would see
wonders now that the state is liberated. Apart from the debt burden, he also
said the protracted court cases challenging his election, which lasted for
three years, was a major setback to the plans of his administration.

“I have set in motion a machinery to give the commercial city of
Aba a facelift infrastructurally,” he said, blaming the collapse of most roads
in the city on poor quality of work by the contractors that built them during
the administration that preceded his.

On crime

On crime that escalated in the state before it was brought down
recently, the governor said though poverty and unemployment were at the root of
the kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, it is also on record that the
kidnappers had sponsors who had vowed to make the state ungovernable. He said
the death of a leader of the kidnapping gangs, Osisikankwu, was a major
breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping and crime.

Mr Orji, who claimed to be the best governorship candidate for the state in
the 2011 election, urged the people of the state to register en masse during
the forthcoming voters registration exercise and vote for him for the second
term.

Nigeria’s minister of aviation, Fidelia Njeze, and delegates
from United Airlines, an international carrier from the United States of
America, have officially announced the commencement of flight operations by an
additional airline on the Nigeria-USA route.

Describing the development as an “accomplished mission” for the
federal government of Nigeria, Ms. Njeze disclosed that the entry of the new
United States carrier into the Nigeria aviation industry depicts mutual
understanding between both countries after the signing of the open skies
treaty.

“This is mission accomplished for us in the ministry and for
Nigerians,” she said during a briefing at the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Wednesday.

“What we are witnessing started some years ago, which led to the
coming in of Delta Airlines; and this marks the Nigeria-United States agreement
of open skies signed in 2001.”

The aviation minister disclosed that Nigeria will continue to
work with the United States government to enhance development in the sector,
adding that the arrival of United Airlines will boost services on the route.

“Nigeria will always be a strategic and economic partner of the
USA, and for this reason I hereby formally announce on behalf of the federal government,
the arrival of United Airlines to Nigeria,” she said.

Making Lagos a hub

Speaking on the development, Richard Aisuebeogun, managing
director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, said that the federal
government is making efforts to ensure that the Lagos international airport
becomes a hub in Africa, adding that the airline is welcomed to Nigeria.

“This shows progression and it drives at making Nigeria,
especially Lagos airport, a hub in Africa,” he said. “We have the market, the
number and the business, so we welcome United Airlines and we want to assure
you that soon your frequency will be increased.”

Expressing thanks to the federal government through the ministry
of aviation, Charles Duncan, president of the carrier, reiterated that the
addition in the number of carriers on the route will promote trade, improve
cultural ties and development passenger services.

“I am grateful to the aviation minister and all of our partners
here who made launching the new service to Washington possible,” he said. “This
service will facilitate stronger commercial and cultural ties between the
United States and Nigeria, while making travel more convenient and more
accessible to our customers in Africa and the Americas.”

United Airlines brings the number of carriers flying to the United States
from Nigeria to three after the country attained the much coveted Category One
Status in August this year from The United States Federal Aviation
Administration (US FAA). The other airlines on the Nigeria-US route are Delta
Airlines and Arik Air, an indigenous carrier.