Nigeria's First Female-Led Airline Binani Air Gets NCAA Approval + UK-Nigeria Deal & Namibia's Skeleton Coast

About this episode

This episode discusses Nigeria's first female-led airline, UK-Nigeria relations, and intra-African travel challenges.

In this episode of Ije: The World of Travel with host Tony Doe , we cover the biggest stories shaping African and global travel right now. Nigeria makes aviation history as Binani Air receives its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the NCAA on March 18, 2026. Founded by Senator Aishatu Binani Dahiru and led by female CEO Aminatu Dahiru Chiroma , it becomes Nigeria’s first fully female-owned and female-led airline. We discuss its planned routes to Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Anambra, Bauchi, and Gombe, and what this milestone means for diversity in a male-dominated sector. UK and Nigeria deepen ties : A new migration enforcement agreement will speed up returns of visa overstayers and offenders, while a £700 million deal will refurbish major ports in Lagos. We also look at the symbolic weight of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit during Ramadan. Intra-African mobility under the spotlight : Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo’s frustration over Nigeria’s $80 visa fee (while Nigerians enter Kenya visa-free) sparks an honest conversation about reciprocity, tourism barriers, and why it’s still often easier for Africans to travel outside the continent than within it. Travel…

People in this episode

Host: Tony Doe

Guests: Larry Madowo, Nelago

Topics covered

• aviation
• female leadership
• UK-Nigeria relations
• intra-African mobility
• travel inspiration

Keywords

• Binani Air
• AOC
• NCAA
• Aishatu Binani Dahiru
• Aminatu Dahiru Chiroma
• visa fee
• Namibia
• Skeleton Coast

Mentioned in this episode

Products: MV Zeila, South African Airways

Books & works: Ije: The World of Travel, My Namibian Diaries

Places: Nigeria, UK, Namibia, Skeleton Coast, Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Anambra, Bauchi

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