Nairobi, March 25 -- Nigeria's new carrier, the Nigeria Air, will commence operations after years of attempts to float a national brand after the collapse of the Nigeria Airways 20 years ago.

"The new carrier which [will] commence local and international flights before May 2023, is a product of partnership with the Ethiopia Airways," Nigeria's Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said on Thursday at the ongoing National Aviation Stakeholders Forum 2023 in Abuja.

Sirika has been working to revive the country's carrier for almost eight years.

"Local and international flights will commence soon by May 29. Negotiations between the Ethiopian Airlines Group Consortium and the Nigerian government are ongoing. The next step is for the country's Feder...