Keyamo Proposes Five Priorities To Boost Africa’s Air Connectivity
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has outlined five key priorities aimed at accelerating Africa’s air connectivity agenda and deepening regional integration through aviation.
Keyamo stated that aviation should no longer be viewed as a luxury service but as critical economic infrastructure necessary for trade, healthcare delivery, tourism, manufacturing, and regional cooperation across Africa.
Speaking on Thursday at the Annual Lecture of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Abuja, the minister said Nigeria must intensify implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the Yamoussoukro Decision through pragmatic and phased liberalisation.
Represented by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, Keyamo identified the five priorities as accelerating the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision, harmonising legal and judicial frameworks across Africa, unlocking innovative financing and leasing mechanisms, embedding sustainability into aviation liberalisation, and investing in human capital and institutions.
According to him, African countries must strengthen compliance with the Cape Town Convention to improve dispute resolution and investor confidence within the aviation sector.
He also advocated blended financing models and regional risk-sharing facilities to support fleet acquisition and infrastructure development across the continent.
On sustainability, the minister stressed the need for fuel-efficient aircraft, greener airport infrastructure, and reduced emissions through optimised regional hubs, noting that connectivity and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand.
Keyamo further called for increased investment in training institutions, regulatory agencies, technical education, and skills transfer partnerships to build a stronger aviation workforce across Africa.
He explained that Africa could not achieve full economic integration while remaining physically disconnected, adding that the Yamoussoukro Decision and SAATM were established to remove barriers, liberalise market access, and promote competition among African airlines.
The minister, however, acknowledged that implementation challenges remain, urging policymakers, regulators, operators, financiers, and legal practitioners to move beyond policy declarations and focus on practical outcomes.
He said achieving the goals of SAATM and the Yamoussoukro Decision would result in expanded air routes, more affordable tickets, modern fleets, efficient airports, increased trade, and millions of jobs for Africans.
