Travel/Tourism
Buhari Promises More Investments in Aviation Sector
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that Nigeria will continue to make significant investments in the provision of aviation infrastructure for a safe, secure, environmentally friendly, and sustainable economic development of international civil aviation.
Mr Buhari made this commitment in Abuja when he received a delegation led by the President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Mr Salvatore Sciacchitano, on Wednesday in Abuja.
While recalling the long history between Nigeria and ICAO, the President noted that Nigeria has been a member of the group since 1962 and has continued to make valuable contributions to the ICAO Council’s work and its activities.
“This country has been playing a key role in supporting the implementation of ICAO policies and programmes internationally, particularly in the African region.
“To this end, Nigeria has ratified all international air law instruments like the Montreal Protocol and amendments to some articles of the Chicago Convention,” he said.
Mr Buhari told the delegation that Nigeria was championing the cause of aviation safety, security, and facilitation in Africa.
“I have recently signed into law Civil Aviation Act 2022. This is to reposition the industry to ensure continuous compliance with ICAO standards and to meet the challenges of a dynamic and rapidly growing air transport sector,” he said.
President Buhari assured the ICAO leader that the “aviation industry in Nigeria is increasing by leaps and bounds.”
“I have also approved the establishment of Aviation and Aerospace University in Abuja to cater for research and development in the sector as well as the managerial challenges.
”In this regard, Nigeria has already started receiving the support of ICAO members like Qatar under the No Country Left Behind Initiative,” he noted.
He expressed confidence that the aviation sector in Nigeria would continue to grow and affirmed, “the roadmap of the Ministry of Aviation superintended by Mr Hadi Sirika, is on course and together with other reforms of this administration will be sustained.”
While congratulating Mr Sciacchitano on his re-election as President of the ICAO Council for the second term, Mr Buhari also appreciated the support Nigeria had enjoyed under his leadership.
This, according to him, culminated in Nigeria’s re-election during the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly.
The Nigerian president informed the ICAO President that the aviation sector under this administration had more than doubled, noting that, “It became the fastest growing of our pre-COVID economy, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).”
Mr Buhari also said that passenger numbers were raised from 8 – 30 million, noting that, “The five new airport terminals hHeave added 50 million passengers to our capacity. All these within the time we are in government, namely seven and half years.”
Mr Buhari expressed delight at the post-COVID recovery of the country’s aviation sector, describing it as the second-best in the world.
The ICAO President told Mr Buhari that the meeting offered an opportunity for interaction between the participants from about 160 countries and the Civil Aviation Authorities in the country.
According to him, more than 4,000 agreements are being signed by way of bilateral agreements.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Emirates has become the first airline cargo carrier to deploy the Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft.
The aircraft (A6-EBK) will enter commercial service with a flight from Hong Kong to Dubai carrying over 100 tonnes of cargo, a statement from the airline operator stated.
The converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF offers 100 tonnes of payload capacity and 811 m³ of cargo volume, representing a 25 per cent increase in cargo volume over the Boeing 777-F production freighter.
At 47 pallet positions, the converted aircraft also accommodates 10 additional pallet positions when compared with the Boeing 777-F production freighter, making it ideal for transporting volumetric cargo such as e-commerce goods, which currently constitute around 20 per cent of global air cargo tonnage with further growth projected in the next few years.
The converted Boeing 777-300ERSF is the sixth new freighter, following five Boeing 777-F production freighters, to join Emirates SkyCargo’s fleet since March 2026.
As part of its ambitious expansion strategy, Emirates SkyCargo will also be taking delivery of five additional Boeing 777-F aircraft as well as one additional converted Boeing 777-300ERSF by December 2026.
Emirates SkyCargo will also be introducing three additional converted Boeing 777-ERSFs into its fleet in 2027.
“The induction of the first converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF into operational service represents the next step in the expansion of our fleet and operational agility.
“We are optimising our fleet assets by converting older Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to meet the growing demand for air cargo capacity to transport goods rapidly across the world,” Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President, Badr Abbas, commented.
“Combined with our growing fleet of Boeing 777-F production freighters, we have already been able to scale our global freighter network from just over 40 destinations in February this year to 62 destinations currently and growing.
“We are providing our global customers with scalable cargo capacity and ultimate flexibility and connectivity when moving cargo to and through our hub in Dubai,” Abbas added.
