…Nigeria now Africa’s fourth largest aviation market — FAAN
By Nathaniel Irobi
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said President Bola Tinubu’s reforms in the aviation sector have crashed airfares, attracted new airlines and aircraft into the Nigerian market, and improved safety standards.
These developments came as Nigeria is now ranked as fourth largest aviation market in Africa.
Keyamo spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the 35th Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Annual General Assembly, the 76th Board and Committee Meetings, and the Regional Conference and Exhibition.
He said the reforms had also opened up new routes and deepened competition among carriers operating in the country.
According to him, the implementation of the Cape Town Convention and efforts to attract foreign investment and aircraft were designed to address longstanding challenges in the sector and provide long-term solutions.
“We have created healthy competition among the airlines because they now have access to aircraft and the impact of the reforms are felt across the sector,” Keyamo said.
He identified the rehabilitation and expansion of airport infrastructure as another visible area of progress, citing the ongoing work at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal 1 in Lagos as a major intervention.
He also pointed to improvements in runways and other airport facilities across the country, saying the Federal Government was committed to upgrading aviation infrastructure and positioning Nigeria as a major aviation hub.
On safety, the minister said Nigeria recorded an effective implementation score of 91.45 per cent following the 2026 International Civil Aviation Organisation validation mission, describing it as the country’s highest ever score.
He, however, said the result should be regarded as a new baseline rather than the destination for the sector.
Beyond the gains recorded at home, Keyamo said the next major challenge for African aviation was improving connectivity across the continent.
He argued that it should not be easier for passengers to travel from an African city to a destination outside the continent than to travel between two African countries.
“Africa needs stronger intra-African connectivity, commercially viable airports, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and closer cooperation among governments, airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders,” he said.
The minister called for a reduction in protectionist policies among African countries, saying greater cooperation was necessary to unlock the benefits of regional integration.
He cited the European single-sky model as an example of how countries could work together for broader regional benefit.
According to him, the Single African Air Transport Market and the African Continental Free Trade Area provide important frameworks for improving connectivity and economic integration, adding that the AfCFTA could not achieve its full potential without effective transport links.
He said the African Development Bank and other development institutions had recognised the importance of aviation to the continent’s economic development and were supporting programmes aimed at improving connectivity.
He cited the establishment of direct air links between Abuja and Yaoundé as an example of progress, noting that passengers previously had to connect through other countries to make the journey.
He said several applications for new routes were before the ministry, adding that Africa was gradually becoming more connected as demand for air transport increased.
He urged African countries to focus on building infrastructure, strengthening policies and developing institutional capacity to convert the continent’s aviation potential into sustainable economic value.
According to him, airports must evolve beyond being facilities for aircraft operations and become economic ecosystems supporting tourism, logistics, trade, investment and employment.
He said the future of African aviation would depend on the ability of airports and governments to improve safety, efficiency, technology, passenger experience and resilience while strengthening connections across the continent.
In her welcome address, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Vice President of ACI Africa, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, described the meeting hosted by Nigeria as a convergence of vision at a consequential moment for African aviation.
Speaking on the theme, “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,” she said it was not merely a conference title but a strategic mandate and a call to action.
Citing the latest data from the International Air Transport Association, she said African airlines recorded a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in July 2026.
“Let me put that in perspective: while global international demand actually declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period, Africa was expanding. We are not just participating in global aviation recovery — we are leading it,” she said.
She said the continent’s overall passenger demand grew by 5.2 per cent, second only to Latin America and the Caribbean, and substantially ahead of the global average of 0.2 per cent.
“This is not a marginal improvement. This continent is on the move. Nigeria, my home and the host nation for this conference, is proud to be at the forefront of this growth story,” she said.
“Our aviation market now ranks as the fourth-largest in Africa, with over 18.8 million domestic and international passengers recorded in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent.”
She said the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s ten largest airports in September, with a 24.1 per cent increase.
According to OAG data, Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from the same period last year, the fastest growth among Africa’s top ten aviation markets.
She attributed the growth to currency reforms, new aircraft leasing agreements and growing confidence from international carriers looking to fly to Nigeria, noting that several airlines had resumed operations in the country since Keyamo took office.
She, however, said Africa’s aviation sector still faces structural headwinds that must be confronted with clear vision and collective resolve.
“Our continent accounts for just one per cent of global air traffic despite having 18 per cent of the world’s population. Load factors remain below global averages, and our airlines’ financial viability remains fragile,” she said.
“In Nigeria alone, with a population exceeding 220 million, we record approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports. The potential is vast, but the gap between where we are and where we could be remains substantial.”
She said the challenges included funding constraints, infrastructure gaps, high operating costs, fragmented connectivity and pressure to keep charges low while delivering world-class facilities.
She said FAAN had since 2023 pursued a deliberate transformation agenda, including the rehabilitation of a major runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, terminal upgrades and improved airfield lighting.
She also cited the establishment of a Passenger Experience Hub, the deployment of fast check-in systems, automated e-passport gates, enhanced security systems and passenger-data analytics.
On quality management, she said FAAN achieved dual ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications in January 2026, while more than 3,500 personnel had been trained and certified through ICAO and ACI programmes.
“This is not merely a certificate on a wall — it represents a systematic commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, and continual improvement,” she said.
She outlined five imperatives for the next generation of African airports, including diversifying revenue beyond aeronautical charges, investing in intelligent infrastructure, building operational resilience, developing human capital and forging commercially viable partnerships.
“The objective is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to reduce the time between disruption and effective response,” she said.
She called on governments across Africa to establish predictable, long-term and commercially disciplined frameworks for airport infrastructure investment.
“I call upon my fellow airport leaders to embrace bold, strategic prioritisation. Not every desirable project can be funded at once. But the essential projects — the ones that protect safety, build capacity, generate revenue, and strengthen resilience — must not wait,” she said.
“And I call upon all of us to remember that aviation is ultimately about connecting people. Every passenger who passes through our airports carries dreams, responsibilities, and aspirations. We must build airports worthy of that trust.”
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