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Nigeria Settles 98% of $850 Million Debt to International Airlines

By SG Editor·
Burna Boy, Tems, and Femi Kuti on stage during Glastonbury 2024 lineup.

African music stars Burna Boy, Tems, and Femi Kuti perform together at Glastonbury 2024.

Nigeria has settled 98% of its $850 million backlog owed to international airline operators, leaving $19 million pending verification by its Central Bank. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced this development in a statement where it commended the authorities for their efforts and urged them to see to the payment of the residual $19 million. Due to an acute dollar shortage, Nigeria had been unable to allow foreign airlines to repatriate their earnings, peaking at $850 million owed in June 2023. In January 2024, airlines threatened strikes and some of them scaled back operations due to only $61 million being settled. The CBN’s payment of the money owed to airlines is part of a broader effort to clear FX backlogs of over $7 billion in a bid to stabilize the country’s exchange rate.

SOURCE: TECH CABAL