United Nigeria Airlines Boss Receives Trailblazer In Aviation Award At Daily Times Centenary Celebration

 

The Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has received the Trailblazer Award in Aviation at the Daily Times Nigeria Centenary Awards, held to mark 100 years of the newspaper’s existence.

 

The honour recognises his contribution to indigenous aviation and his leadership of one of the country’s major domestic carriers.

 

Prof. Okonkwo is the founder of United Nigeria Airlines, an indigenous carrier established to expand domestic air travel options and strengthen connectivity between cities across Nigeria. Through his investment in the aviation sector, he has helped create more travel choices for passengers, supported business and tourism activities, created jobs and improved access to air transportation.

 

Building and sustaining an airline demands significant investment, operational discipline, regulatory compliance and an unwavering commitment to safety and passenger service. His leadership in establishing and growing United Nigeria Airlines reflects the role private enterprise plays in strengthening Nigeria’s aviation industry and creating opportunities across the wider economy.

In recognition of his entrepreneurial vision and his contribution to the development of indigenous aviation, Prof. Okonkwo received the Trailblazer Award.

Speaking after the presentation, Prof. Okonkwo used the occasion to appeal to the government to give more support to the private sector. He argued that, after the government, the private sector is the country’s largest employer of labour.

The airline has also made recent financial headlines. It closed the first tranche of its ₦100 billion commercial paper (CP) programme after raising ₦22 billion. The issuance was oversubscribed, with demand exceeding the ₦20 billion target, which reflects strong investor confidence in the airline’s financial performance, growth strategy and credit profile.

In response to the strong response, United Nigeria Airlines absorbed 10% of the excess subscription and returned the remainder to subscribers whose applications could not be fully allocated.

The carrier currently serves 14 destinations across Nigeria and Ghana and is finalising plans to expand its regional footprint. It also holds approvals to operate as a flag carrier to six international destinations.

United Nigeria Airlines is an IOSA-certified operator, has been an IATA member since 2022, and is a full member of the African Airlines Association. In 2026, it signed the IATA Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreement and secured global distribution system (GDS) agreements with Amadeus and Sabre, giving travel agents worldwide access to its ticket inventory.