Nigeria has been delisted from the United States Federal Aviation Administration Category One Status (USFAA CAT 1) In­ternational Aviation Safety Assessment programme (IASA), investigation by Dai­ly Independent can reveal.

With this removal, no Nigerian air­line, including Air Peace, which planned to commence direct flight from Lagos to New York “soon,” can operate directly to any city or airport in the US until the country is re-audited and re-certificated by the FAA and returned to its former status.

Nigeria gained the USFAA CAT One Status in August 2010 after a rigorous exercise that spanned about five years, but due to the combined factors of drop in standards and the failure of any Nigerian airline to operate directly to the US for seven years, some stakeholders said the country lost the rating.

The new USFAA law says that the failure of any country’s air­line to operate directly to the US for two years or vice-versa would lead to the loss of the Cat­egory One Status.

It is not clear how long Nige­ria had fallen off from the prime status, but a source close to the Ministry of Aviation and Aero­space Development, confided in Daily Independent over the weekend that it was “before the 2023 general elections.”

This newspaper gathered that Hadi Sirika, the immediate past Minister of Aviation, had told the agencies’ heads then and some major stakeholders not to divulge the removal of the country from the status to the public in order not to affect the then impending general elections in 2023.

It was a secret well-kept by those who were aware of the country’s removal by the US­FAA until Daily Independent in­vestigation exposed its delisting.

Arik Air, the sole Nigerian on the Lagos-New York route, had on February 3, 2017, sus­pended operations to the US, a few days before its takeover by the Asset Management Corpo­ration of Nigeria (AMCON).

However, two United States carriers, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, still operate direct flights to Nigeria from their bases.

While Nigeria is out of the list, seven other Af­rican countries still retain the USFAA Category One Status.

The countries are Cabo Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda and South Africa.

Further investigation by Daily Independent re­vealed that in the updated list of USFAA, there are 83 countries either in Category One or Two of the list, but Nigeria is con­spicuously missing on either of the two categories.

Investigation revealed that at present, there are 78 countries on USFAA Category One Status, including the above mentioned seven African countries, while another five countries are on Category Two Status.

Some of the countries in the Category One Status include Argentina, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Domin­ican Republic, Ecuador, El Sal­vador, France, Germany, Israel, Italy and Ireland.

Others are Kuwait, Japan, Jordan, Panama, Portugal, Phil­ippines, Romania, Samoa, Sam Marino, Poland, Suriname, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United King­dom UK), Uzbekistan, Vietnam and many more.

The only five countries on Category Two are Venezuela, Thailand, Russia, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and Bangladesh.

However, an industry expert who didn’t want his name in print explained that the remov­al of Nigeria from the US FAA Category One Status was due to one of the new rules by FAA, which bars countries whose air­lines had not flown into the US for two or three years.

This, he said, led to the re­moval of Nigeria from the list.

The industry expert equally reiterated that it was not due to the failure of infrastructure, safety, and aero-politics, but regretted the removal of the country from the status.

He said: “The sad thing about Nigeria is that since we signed ‘Open Skies’ agreement with the US, we were not operating to the country and they gave us five years to establish ourselves before they start operating into Nigeria, but we couldn’t do that. Then, Category One was signed under Dr. Harold Demuren and Arik Air stopped operating into the US in 2017 under Category One.

“Recall that Arik Air was used as one of the test airlines for Nigeria to achieve Category One and since Arik Air stopped, no Nigerian airline has operat­ed to the US. The fact is that other countries upgraded their rules, while Nigeria stopped. The fact of the matter is Nigeria has not infringed on any rule, but with their new rule, you have to comply.”

He, however, said that for any Nigerian airline to commence direct flight into the US, the Nigeria civil aviation would be re-audited by the USFAA, including the technical staff strength, safety and security apparatus layout.

Grp. Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), the Chief Executive Offi­cer (CEO), Centurion Aviation Security Limited, confirmed that Nigeria lost the status about two years ago.

But Ojikutu attributed the delisting of the country to neg­ligent on oversight and enforce­ment of the safety and security regulations and programmes by the government.

For instance, Ojikutu men­tioned the recent safety and security audits of the civil aviation industry by the Inter­national Civil Aviation Organ­isation (ICAO), where Nigeria performed below industry standards and with numerous open items.

He emphasised that the country’s prime airport, Murta­la Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, was lacking in security fence for over 20 years without any major improvement, while cases of incursions into the airport had climbed in recent times.

All these, he pointed out would result in the US FAA stopping Nigerian airlines from operating into the US.

He added: “The major prob­lem in the Nigerian civil aviation administration and manage­ment is the inconsistency of the appointments into the manage­ment positions and progression of the professional staff.

“We must prepare the Ni­geria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) again for another US FAA/Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Catego­ry One audit within a year from now to be able to pave the way for any designated flag carrier to fly to the US. Otherwise, the plan of Air Peace to go to the US can not materialise. As at now, the NCAA has no skills for any US FAA/TSA Category One audit.

“There are also other silent reports made to ICAO by the foreign airlines, which are not complementary to the NCAA oversight and enforcement of the safety and security in par­ticular.”

Engr. Femi Adeniji, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NIGAME Aircraft Consultancy Incorporation based in Florida, USA, explained that the delist­ing of Nigeria from Category One Status would affect the plan of Air Peace with its interna­tional flights to the US.

For Nigeria to return to the prime status, he advised the government to equip the NCAA with trained inspectors, experi­enced and complete re-organi­sation of the agency, including digitisations of regulations, which, he said, would give easy access to operators.

Besides, Capt. Mohammed Badamasi, an aviation analyst, purported that the recent incon­sistencies in safety and security in the industry may be responsi­ble for the loss of the Category One Status.

Badamasi queried the last time the NCAA carried out an internal audit of its activities that were supposed to prepare it for the mandatory external au­dit by any external bodies, won­dering if the agency was able to close all the gaps noticed in the last safety and security audits of Nigeria by ICAO.

Also, he explained that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had failed in its responsibility of properly main­taining the infrastructure like buildings, runways, taxiway, lights and others, while security and safety at the airport perime­ter had also taken a flight.

He added: “In my own view, I see something wrong adminis­tratively. There are people who feel betrayed administratively. Internal wrangling. Leadership problems.

“A lot of hard work needs to be done with sincerity of pur­poses, having listed the grey ar­eas. Let them take a look at their visions and missions to deter­mine if they are still available.”

An AISA Category One rating means a country has the laws and regulations nec­essary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards and that its civil aviation authority equivalent to the FAA for civil aviation matters meets interna­tional standards for technical expertise, trained personnel, record keeping and inspection procedures.

There are eight critical ele­ments required to be fulfilled before a country can scale the FAA audit. They are legislation, regula­tions, organisations, technical staff, technical guidance tools, licensing, continuous surveil­lance and resolution of safety concerns.

Amid the controversial $6 billion debt being owed to petrol suppliers by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, a Northern group, Arewa Democratic Front, ADF, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action.

DAILY POST recalls that the Chief Communications Officer of the NNPCL, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, confirmed the debt, highlighting the severe financial strain it had imposed on the company’s operations.

The confirmation comes at a time fuel crisis has persisted in the country despite promises by the NNPCL.

In a statement made available to DAILY POST on Monday, the ADF, through its National Coordinator, Engr. Mustafa Yusuf and the National Secretary, Malam Muazu Haruna said Nigerians had suffered enough under the Mele Kyari-led NNPCL.

The Arewa group said it was compelled to speak out against the current fuel crisis and the disastrous mismanagement of the petroleum sector under the NNPCL.

According to ADF, “It is both alarming and deeply disheartening that under the watch of Mele Kyari, the Group CEO of NNPCL, Nigerians are being forced to purchase Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at exorbitant prices exceeding N1,000 per liter in some areas.

“This situation, which has pushed many citizens to the brink of despair, is a direct consequence of the gross inefficiency that has come to characterize the NNPCL.”

“The suffering inflicted on the masses, who have already been battered by economic hardships, cannot be overstated.

“It is a travesty that a country as rich in oil resources as Nigeria should find itself in such a deplorable situation,” ADF lamented.

It added that the NNPCL’s alleged failure to manage the petroleum sector effectively was evident in the long queues at petrol stations across the country, which served as a daily reminder of the company’s ineptitude.

“The most damning evidence of this failure is the revelation of a staggering N6 billion dollars debt due petrol to ‘secret’ subsidy payments, despite the supposed cancellation of fuel subsidies over a year ago.

“This debt, which has been accumulated under the guise of subsidy payments, raises serious questions about the transparency and accountability of the NNPCL under Kyari’s leadership.

“Furthermore, the ADF is outraged by the blatant implementation of unfair subsidy practices, racketeering, and middlemen trading, all of which have exacerbated the fuel crisis and further undermined the credibility of the NNPCL.

“The recent shady acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing by NNPCL, coupled with the indiscriminate issuance of licenses to private operators, points to a deeply entrenched culture of corruption that has taken root within the corporation.

“These practices not only betray the trust of the Nigerian people but also pose a serious threat to the integrity of the Tinubu administration’s agenda.

“Mele Kyari’s failure to revive Nigeria’s moribund refineries, despite being provided with all necessary resources and support by the Tinubu administration, is yet another testament to his unsuitability for his position.

“The recent suggestion to hand over the management of these refineries to private firms is nothing but another scheme to defraud the nation under the guise of privatization.

“This proposal, if implemented, would only serve to deepen the crisis in the petroleum sector and further impoverish the Nigerian people.

“Given these grave concerns, the ADF calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act swiftly and decisively.”

ADF said to pave the way for a thorough investigation, President Tinubu should suspend Kyari.

“The Nigerian people have suffered enough under the weight of this fuel crisis.

“It is clear that he has run out of ideas and lost the moral authority to lead. The time has come for a complete overhaul of the NNPCL’s leadership.

“A new team, free from the taint of corruption and committed to transparency and accountability, must be appointed to steer the company— and by extension, the nation, towards a brighter future.

“The ADF stands with the suffering masses of Nigeria and will not relent in its advocacy for justice, equity, and the rule of law.

“We call on all well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organizations, and international partners to join us in this demand for accountability.

“Let the poor breathe. Let the suffering cease. The future of our nation depends on it,” the group further stated.

DAILY POST reports that several other Nigerians, including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, have all demanded a thorough probe of the issues surrounding the fuel subsidy payment.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed a new board for the Bank of Industry (BoI) Limited, signaling a fresh start for the nation’s premier development finance institution.

This was contained in a statement on Monday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale and obtained by News360 Nigeria .

Dr. Mansur Muhtar, a veteran finance expert and former Minister of Finance, will chair the 13-member board, which includes seasoned professionals from various fields.

Dr. Olasupo Olusi takes the reins as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, bringing his wealth of experience to the helm of the bank.

Other members of the board include Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’Okpala, Executive Director, Large Enterprises; Mr. Shekarau Omar, Executive Director, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises; Mr. Usen Effiong, Executive Director, Corporate Services; Ms. Mabel Ndagi, Executive Director, Public Sector & Intervention Programmes; and Mr. Rotimi Akinde, Executive Director, Corporate Finance & Risk Management.

Non-Executive Directors on the board are Mallam Tajudeen Datti Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Finance Incorporated; Mr. Adedamola Olufemi Young, representing Central Bank of Nigeria; Reverend Isaac Adefemi Agoye, representing Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; Mallam Muhammad Bala, representing Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment; Mr. Oreoluwa Adeyemi, Independent Non-Executive Director; and Mr. Sulaiman Musa Kadira, Independent Non-Executive Director.

Tinubu tasked the new board with working harmoniously and diligently to achieve the bank’s objectives, saying “the nation expects nothing but the best from this critical institution”.

The appointments take effect immediately, with the new board set to commence work on the bank’s strategic plans and programs.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the following qualified Nigerians to the board of the Bank of Industry Limited:

[b]“Dr. Mansur Muhtar, OFR, — Chairman; Dr. Olasupo Olusi — Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer; Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’Okpala — Executive Director, Large Enterprises; Mr. Shekarau Omar — Executive Director, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises; Mr. Usen Effiong — Executive Director, Corporate Services.

“Others are Ms. Mabel Ndagi — Executive Director, Public Sector & Intervention Programmes; Mr. Rotimi Akinde — Executive Director, Corporate Finance & Risk Management; Mallam Tajudeen Datti Ahmed — Non-Executive Director, representing the Ministry of Finance Incorporated; Mr. Adedamola Olufemi Young — Non-Executive Director, representing Central Bank of Nigeria; Reverend Isaac Adefemi Agoye — Non-Executive, representing Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; Mallam Muhammad Bala — Non-Executive, representing Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment; Mr. Oreoluwa Adeyemi — Independent Non-Executive Director; Mr. Sulaiman Musa Kadira — Independent Non-Executive Director.
[/b]
“Dr. Muhtar’s career spans decades in finance, international development, public service, and academia.

“He served as Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Development from 2008 to 2010 and was Vice-President, Operations of the Islamic Development Bank, before his recent appointment.

“The President expects the new board of the Bank of Industry to work harmoniously, diligently, and with utmost fidelity to the nation in driving the mandate of this critical institution as a development vehicle for providing support for projects that enhance job creation, poverty alleviation, and the socio-economic conditions of Nigerian families,”the statement reads.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri has directed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPCL) must sell petrol above the landing cost, which currently stands at N1,117 per litre, to prevent the smuggling of the products to neighbouring countries.

Lokpobiri’s stated at the event that NNPC’s sale of imported fuel at a price above the landing cost will bridge the potential profit gap and curb smuggling of the product to neighbouring countries for high profit-making by those involved in the shady business.

Lagos leads the way in DNA testing across Nigeria, as 27% of all paternity tests conducted across the country proved negative indicating that in over one in four cases, the man tested was not the biological father.

This is according to the newly released report by Smart DNA titled Smart DNA 2024 report.

The report, which covers the period from June 2023 to June 2024, reveals that the bustling state accounted for a staggering 73.1% of all DNA tests conducted, dwarfing other states like Oyo (5.5%), Ogun (5.3%), Rivers (4.0%), and Delta (3.5%).

This finding highlights the complex realities and doubts surrounding family structures in Nigeria, where DNA testing has become increasingly sought after to resolve paternity issues.

According to the report, 73.0% of tests returned positive results, confirming the biological relationship between the child and the tested father. Lagos particularly on the Mainland recorded 67.5% compared to the Island of 32.5%.

The report points to the purchasing power of Lagosians as the primary driver behind this geographical disparity.

Reasons for the tests
The report also provided insights into the reasons behind the surge in DNA testing, with 85.9% of tests categorized under ‘Peace of Mind,’ indicating that individuals primarily seek DNA confirmation for personal reasons rather than legal or immigration purposes.

Notably, DNA tests for immigration purposes grew by 11.5% during the period compared to previous years, reflecting the ongoing trend “Japa” syndrome where Nigerians seek greener pastures abroad, often necessitating DNA verification for their children’s emigration.

Gender dynamics
The report reveals a stark gender disparity among those initiating DNA tests. Men overwhelmingly dominate the statistics, making up 88.2% of the first contacts, while women accounted for just 11.8%. This suggests that men are more likely to have doubts about paternity or other familial relationships, prompting them to seek testing.

However, the report cautions that the data might not be representative of the broader population. “People who come to us usually have valid reasons for questioning paternity, which creates a clear sample bias,” the report notes. This means that the instances of paternity fraud uncovered in their tests could be higher than in the general population.

Cultural trends
Furthermore, the report highlighted the demographic distribution of test requesters, with the Yoruba ethnic group accounting for the highest percentage of tests (53%), followed by Igbo (31.3%), Hausa (1.2%), and others (14.5%). Most tests were conducted on male children (52.8%), possibly indicating a cultural preference for confirming the paternity of male offspring.

In terms of age, the majority of DNA tests were conducted on children aged 0-5 years (54%), followed by those aged 6-12 years (24%), suggesting that parents often seek to establish paternity early in their children’s lives

Another interesting finding is the gender of the children tested, with slightly more tests conducted on male children (52.8%) than female children (47.2%). This may suggest a cultural preference for confirming the paternity of male offspring.

What you should know
Paternity scandals are a growing issue in Nigeria, causing significant social and legal impacts across families and communities. Traditional expectations place immense value on family lineage and the legitimacy of children, the pressure to maintain the appearance of a stable family unit can be overwhelming. This societal emphasis often leads individuals to conceal paternity issues rather than confront them openly.

Despite growing suspicions, many people hesitate to seek DNA testing due to the prohibitive costs. According to findings from Nairametrics, conducting a paternity or maternity test in Nigeria can cost approximately ₦280,000 for a father/mother, and child, this price tag remains out of reach for many families.

Consequently, the cost of testing becomes a significant barrier, preventing some individuals from obtaining the answers they need and perpetuating the cycle of uncertainty and mistrust within the family structure.

Nigerians expect to spend their savings or incur debt over the declining financial situation, according to a recent report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In the report titled; “July 2024 Household Expectations Survey”, Nigerians were pessimistic about the economic situation over the next three months.

“At -9.1 points, consumers’ overall confidence was pessimistic for the next three months. This is attributed to declining economic conditions and declining family financial situation as consumers opined that they will be drawing down on savings or getting into debt. They, however, anticipate improvement in the total family income as the index stood at 1.6 points,” the report stated.

The survey, which was done in July 2024, sampled 1,665 households and had a 99.7 response rate.

Respondents also expected inflation to continue rising in August 2024, and three months after. However, the prices of goods may begin to moderate after six months, the report stated.

“Drivers of inflation for the next three months were Transportation (69.3), Purchases of Car/Motor Vehicle (68.7 points), Medical Expenses (67.3 points), Rents (67.1 points) and Purchase of House (67.0 points),” the report stated.

Households also expect to spend over 50 percent of their income on food and household items, while seeking to cut costs on big purchases such as vehicles, houses, home appliances, savings and investments.

“This trend is expected to continue into the next three months as consumers expect to spend a substantial amount of their income on similar items: Food and Other Household Items (56.0 points), Education (35.2 points).”

“Additionally, they do not plan to spend a substantial income on Investment (-45.6 points) and Savings (-33.8 points). This reflects their family’s financial situation in the current month and reaffirms their stance that they will be drawing down on their savings or getting into debt,” the report stated.

Although Nigerians did not expect to make big purchases like landed properties and houses in July and August, the optimism to do so in six months was higher.

“Consumers expect the naira to depreciate in the current month, next month and next three months but appreciate in the next six months,” the report stated.