Stories by Chinedu Eze
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called for stronger intra-African air connectivity, stressing that aviation must play a central role in deepening economic integration across the continent.
He made the call in Abuja while declaring open the 35th Airports Council International (ACI Africa) Annual General Assembly 76th Board and Committee Meetings, Regional Conference and Exhibition.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the minister said it should not be easier to travel between an African city and a destination outside the continent than to travel between two African cities.
He called for stronger cooperation among African governments, airlines, airport operators and regulators to develop commercially viable airports, appropriate regulatory frameworks and improved connectivity across the continent.
According to him, the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) provides an important framework for achieving stronger intra-African connectivity, while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is creating a larger economic space in which aviation must play a critical role.
“When African airports connect Africa more effectively, Africa becomes smaller, and opportunity becomes larger,” the minister said.
Keyamo also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing aviation transformation, including the country’s 91.45 per cent Effective Implementation score following the 2026 ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission, describing it as Nigeria’s highest-ever result.
He said the federal government would also modernise airport infrastructure, expand aviation value chains and encourage private-sector participation in airport infrastructure and services.
The minister emphasised that next-generation African airports must be safe, efficient, financially sustainable, technologically enabled, environmentally responsible and resilient to disruptions.