Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo says significant progress has been made in the sector over the past year.
According to the Minister, previously strained relationship with the UAE has been mended which lead to the resumption of flight operations on October 1, 2024.
He added that welfare of local airlines have been prioritised through negotiations with international partners to support their development.
Further detailing his achievements over the past year, Mr Keyamo said One of “our key strategic moves is entering into a codeshare agreement with Air Peace, which will soon take effect.
“More codeshare agreements with international airlines are also in progress, aligning with our five-point agenda”.
Speaking further, the Minister said this administration is the first to make the support of local airlines a primary objective.
“Across Africa, governments typically sponsor or support their national carriers, but in Nigeria, aviation has been entirely driven by private participation.
” It is essential to focus on private airlines that serve our domestic and regional airspace, creating policies that foster their growth and development while ensuring active government support for the sector.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has made remarkable improvements, particularly in revamping hajj terminals across the country. Several terminals were reopened last year, and more are set to be rehabilitated this year.
“We have also taken decisive action against the misuse of private chartered planes for illegal activities, which has resulted in revenue losses for the federal government”.
Mr Keyamo noted that over the past decade, approximately ₦120 billion has been lost due to unauthorised charter operations.
To address this, a task force was established dedicated to curbing illegal airline operations.
Additionally, African and Aerospace University, which is now fully operational and open to international students were engaged.
The minister encouraged prospective applicants to take advantage of this opportunity.
He added that Abuja and Lagos airports have been recognised for their excellence in safety and emergency management, winning prestigious awards and securing re-certification.
“We also visited Boeing at their invitation after they identified Nigeria as the next major hub for the airline business.
“This visit resulted in the signing of an MOU that has already begun yielding benefits. Last year, Boeing trained pilots for private airlines in Nigeria at no cost, marking the success of this partnership.
“The ministry aims to set up a policy called Fly Nigeria Act which will be presented to the National Assembly to promote local airlines”, Keyamo said .
The Minister said, Nigeria’s inability to fully comply with the Cape Town Convention has affected its capacity to lease or acquire aircraft, as the country was not represented on the relevant committee.
Mr Keyamo said addressing this issue remains a priority for the ministry.
