Nigeria has unveiled ambitious plans to become Africa’s leading aviation hub, with sweeping reforms aimed at bolstering local airlines and expanding international flight routes.
A press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood, revealed that Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, outlined the country’s vision at the on-going International Route Development Conference themed Network Cargo 2024 in Moscow, Russia.
Keyamo pointed out Nigeria’s unique geographic advantage as a vital asset in its quest for aviation dominance, positioning the country at the crossroads of major global destinations as he said, “Geographically, we are in the best position to be the real hub of Africa. If you look at the map, we are equidistant to South America across the Atlantic, to Europe, and to Asia. We are about 6 to 7 hours to Doha, Dubai, and Brazil. With our population, we have the dream to develop a real hub for Africa.”
Keyamo then said that Nigeria has huge untapped aviation potential, saying that a lot of international flight traffic originates from Nigeria, however, foreign airlines are the ones servicing these flights instead of Nigerian airlines.
“If you look at it, most of the flights originating from Nigeria are not indigenous. Airlines from Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries feed on our traffic. They know that Nigerians travel all over the world,” he said.
He then said that to address this, the Nigerian government was aiming to increase the capacity of local airlines to make sure that they can benefit from Nigeria’s air traffic as he said, “Instead of giving up our traffic and airspace to other people, we are focused on ramping up the capacity of our local airlines. That is a major priority of President Tinubu’s administration.”
The minister also announced plans to establish direct air links with South America, specifically Brazil, a region where Nigerian airlines are currently underrepresented. This expansion is part of broader efforts to reduce reliance on traditional African and European routes while opening new economic and trade corridors. “It is ironic that to fly to Brazil from Nigeria, one has to first travel east to Addis Ababa or go to Angola before heading west. We are working to open up direct routes from Nigeria to South America, addressing this gap in our aviation connectivity,” Keyamo added, signalling Nigeria’s intent to fill this gap.
Keyamo further highlighted the government’s commitment to strengthening local airlines through policy reforms, including the adoption of the Cape Town Convention’s practice directions. This move, he explained, would protect leasing companies and promote dry leasing, thus making the industry more attractive to investors.
These reforms are a part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s larger plan to drive economic growth through aviation, making Nigeria a central player in global air transport. With these initiatives, the government aims to tap into the nation’s large market, improve competitiveness, and ensure that Nigerian airlines claim a larger share of international air traffic.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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