Nigeria does NOT need a 'national air carrier'. The Ethiopian Airlines 'MD' supports the concept because his company sees the Nigeria market - and the inept Nigeria government - in the same way a lion sees a gazelle...an 'all-you-can-eat' buffet. Ethiopian Airlines is a good company...possibly a great company - but they, too, are government owned / subsidized. Unlike other government 'owned' airlines across Africa - which have all failed - Ethiopian has recognized the destructive influence of government and have minimized it. The government of Ethiopia has even acknowledged that 'government' involvement in an airline is deleterious. My argument against a national carrier in Nigeria is NOT against the AIRLINE - it is against a 'government owned' airline. Government owned = financial failure...every time it's been done. There is massive amounts of private sector money in Nigeria with which to create a privately owned airline. There is, simply, not enough managerial and operational talent, in Nigeria, to run a PROFITABLE airline. No one can argue against that claim. Can it be done? Certainly...but not without a dramatic change in conceptual attitudes and a lot of help from people - outside of Nigeria - to 'build the model'. What will this new 'national carrier' do differently - than all the previous efforts. What financial and operational 'plan' will the new carrier use? Every airline - in the history of the country - has failed financially. Losing private investor money is a risk people take with their OWN money. Losing 'government' money is mismanagement of TAXPAYER money. Ethiopian Airlines is simply benefitting from a new income stream - being created by the Nigeria government. Ethiopian KNOWS how to make money and manage an airline - Nigeria only knows how to LOSE money and MISMANAGE an airline. When this deal fails - Ethiopian walks away with their profits - and Nigeria will add the name of another failed airline - to a list the people of Nigeria do not deserve.