Osita Chidoka alighting from a United Nigeria Airline, aircraft
By Osita Chidoka
Arrived Lagos from Chinua Achebe Airport aboard United Nigeria’s EMBRAER ERJ 145.
It was a smooth flight despite the dull weather.
Some friends — and many travellers — often express worry about flying “small aircrafts.” My advice: nothing to worry about.
The EMBRAER ERJ 145 belongs to the family of Regional Jets — aircraft with fewer than 100 seats — like Bombardier’s CRJ series. These jets are designed for short-haul efficiency, quick turnaround, and reliability.
More importantly, the Embraer Regional Jet family (ERJ 130, 140, 145) has recorded zero fatalities in its operational history. According to Turbli, a web-based aviation analytics platform that tracks turbulence and safety data:
“Comparison between the different manufacturers shows that Embraer is the clear winner — just 0.01 fatal accidents every thousand years of service time.”
That’s an extraordinary record.
United Nigeria Airline made a wise and strategic choice in adopting Embraer regional jets. The economics of regional aviation make perfect sense for Nigeria — shorter routes, lower operating costs, and world-class safety standards.
As a nation, we must now take the next step. Nigeria should build capacity for aircraft maintenance and manufacturing.
It is not rocket science — Brazil is doing it. Nigeria can.
Enough of Alibi — the culture of excuses.
Let us move to Agency — the culture of doing.
Osita Chidoka
29 October 2025
