Nigeria, AfDB sign aviation deal to boost infrastructure, fleet modernisation

Business

BRAZZAVILLE, Congo (NPA) — The Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a partnership agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) aimed at modernising aviation infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and strengthening airline competitiveness across Africa.

The agreement was signed on Thursday on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group in Brazzaville, Congo.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Director of PICU at the AfDB, Mike Salawou, described the agreement as a major continental initiative designed to transform Africa’s aviation ecosystem.

Salawou said the partnership would focus on aviation infrastructure development, improved connectivity, private sector investment and the modernisation of airline operations across the continent.

He noted that despite Africa accounting for about 18 per cent of the global population, airlines on the continent still represented only a small fraction of global air transport operations.

According to him, the disparity reflects longstanding challenges facing the sector, including infrastructure gaps, fragmented markets and limited access to long-term financing.

Salawou said Nigeria, being Africa’s largest aviation market, was strategically positioned to lead the continent’s aviation transformation agenda.

He added that Nigeria had become the first country to sign a country compact under the AfDB aviation transformation programme.

In his remarks, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said stronger air connectivity remained critical to unlocking Africa’s potential in trade, tourism and investment.

Keyamo said the agreement represented a significant milestone in efforts to improve the competitiveness of African airlines and expand aviation capacity across the continent.

According to him, the AfDB initiative will help modernise airline fleets and create access to competitive financing models similar to those available in other regions of the world.

The minister said the Nigerian government had given its full backing to the partnership, stressing that the initiative aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at repositioning the country’s aviation sector.

(NAN)