The Federal Government has unveiled a new initiative, known as the BisonFly Project, aimed at reducing air travel costs for civil servants across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The project is expected to save government funds and improve the transparency and efficiency of official travel arrangements.
The announcement was made during the official launch of the programme on Thursday in Abuja. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said the BisonFly Project is a strategic move to ensure better management of public funds while also improving service delivery within the federal civil service.
Mr. Edun described the initiative as a direct response to the need for responsible fiscal management in government operations. He said that by centralising travel bookings and negotiating discounted airfares, the Federal Government would reduce unnecessary expenditure associated with official travel.
“This initiative supports our commitment to responsible financial management,” the Minister said. “By centralising travel bookings and securing discounted fares, we aim to reduce costs and enhance service delivery, similar to the practices adopted by international organisations such as the World Bank.”
The project is being driven by the Efficiency Unit of the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with ICT experts and other relevant stakeholders.
The BisonFly Project will operate through a technology-driven and centralised platform that simplifies the booking process for air travel. Under this system, all official trips by civil servants will be processed through a digital booking tool that offers access to discounted rates agreed upon with local airlines.
The aim is to cut costs by using the government’s collective bargaining power to secure favourable ticket prices, much like how large institutions negotiate corporate rates for their staff.
According to the Ministry, the platform will also increase transparency and accountability in travel-related spending, reducing the chances of abuse or inflated travel claims.
Once fully implemented, the BisonFly platform is expected to become the official channel for booking all government-related flights, eliminating the need for individual agencies to make travel arrangements on their own.
A dedicated project implementation team has already been constituted and tasked with overseeing the successful rollout of the platform. The team is expected to work closely with airline operators, technology providers, and MDAs to ensure smooth integration of the system.
Mr. Edun urged the implementation team to remain focused and deliver the project on schedule, noting that the success of the programme would serve as a model for other cost-saving initiatives within the public sector.
He stressed that the programme is not just about saving money, but also about improving the overall efficiency of government operations, including faster booking, real-time reporting, and compliance with budgetary guidelines.
Raymond Omenka Omachi, the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties at the Ministry of Finance, described the BisonFly Project as a milestone in the government’s efforts to promote fiscal responsibility. He added that the model could be adapted for other services beyond air travel.
“This is more than just a booking platform; it is a framework for smarter, more disciplined government spending,” Omachi said.
He noted that public servants often undertake important assignments that require domestic travel, and ensuring they can do so efficiently and cost-effectively is essential to national productivity and government performance.
The Permanent Secretary added that the system would also make it easier for government agencies to track, audit, and report on their travel expenses, contributing to stronger internal controls and better public accountability.
The Federal Government has long faced criticism over the high cost of governance in Nigeria. One of the often-cited areas of excessive spending is official travel, with reports of inflated flight tickets, multiple bookings, and a general lack of oversight.
As part of ongoing reforms to cut waste and ensure better use of public funds, the Ministry of Finance set up the Efficiency Unit in 2016 under former Minister Kemi Adeosun. The unit was tasked with identifying areas of leakages and recommending ways to reduce costs without affecting service delivery.
Since its establishment, the Efficiency Unit has introduced several measures, including standardising allowances, limiting the number of officials on foreign trips, and reviewing procurement procedures.
The BisonFly Project is the latest addition to these reforms and represents a practical solution to the challenges associated with managing government-funded travel.
The Ministry of Finance says the BisonFly platform is expected to go live in the coming months. Training and sensitisation programmes will be organised for officials in MDAs to ensure they understand how to use the platform and comply with the new travel guidelines.
In the long run, the government is hoping that the platform will evolve to include data analytics tools, allowing policy makers to analyse travel trends, measure cost savings, and make informed decisions about future budget planning.
The project could also be expanded to cover other areas such as hotel bookings, transportation, and event planning, all of which account for a significant portion of government operational costs.
Reactions to the launch of BisonFly have been largely positive, especially among civil servants who say that a centralised system would help them avoid delays and frustrations that often come with last-minute travel arrangements.
