The Senate has threatened to review Nigeria's aviation agreement with China if Nigerian airlines are not granted reciprocal rights to operate direct flights to the Asian country.
The lawmakers said Nigeria should no longer grant Chinese carriers unrestricted access to its aviation market without securing equivalent opportunities for domestic airlines.
The position followed a motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Mohammed Monguno, and seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi during Tuesday's plenary.
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Monguno said Nigeria's Bilateral Air Services Agreement with China, signed under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had yet to deliver the expected benefits to Nigerian carriers.
He noted that direct flights would strengthen trade relations, reduce travel time, improve supply chains and help Nigeria retain foreign exchange spent on international connections.
Monguno said bilateral trade between both countries reached $18bn in the first half of 2025, while highlighting the presence of more than one million Nigerians in China and over 500,000 Chinese nationals in Nigeria.
He argued that enforcing the agreement would position the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as major aviation gateways connecting West and Central Africa to East Asia.
Seconding the motion, Ningi complained that Nigerian travellers often had to connect through Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom to reach China because domestic airlines lacked direct routes.
He called on the Federal Government to support Nigerian carriers, including Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines, Azman Air and Ibom Air, to expand their international operations, subject to regulatory and operational requirements.
Ningi also urged the government to review the agreement if China failed to guarantee Nigerian airlines equivalent flight rights.
He raised concerns over the activities of Chinese nationals in Nigeria's solid minerals sector, alleging that some mining operations in Bauchi State and other locations might be operating without complying with relevant legal requirements.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio warned that Nigeria might have to reconsider the privileges granted to Chinese airlines if Nigerian carriers continued to face restrictions.
Following deliberations, the Senate urged the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to renegotiate the commercial terms and operational schedules of the agreement to guarantee reciprocity.
It also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage Chinese authorities on business visa facilitation for Nigerian traders and reciprocal allocation of flight slots.
The lawmakers mandated the Senate committees on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to monitor compliance with the resolutions and report back within four weeks.
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