THE US government on Wednesday lifted a six-year-old ban on direct flights between the United States and Nigeria, imposed after the military annulled elections in 1993. “US Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced his finding that that Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, now maintains and carries out effective security measures,” the US embassy said in a statement. “In an order issued today, Secretary Slater said the Federal Aviation Adminsitration (FAA) assessed the airport’s security procedures and found that they now meet international security standards, making possible the resumption of air services between the United States and Lagos.”