Nigeria Now Africa’s Fourth-Largest Aviation Market, Records 18.8m Passengers In 2025 — FAAN

Nigeria has emerged as the fourth-largest aviation market in Africa, recording more than 18.8 million domestic and international passengers in 2025, representing an 11.9 per cent year-on-year increase.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, disclosed this on Tuesday while delivering her welcome address at the Airport Council International (ACI) Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition 2026 in Abuja.

Onabanjo-Kuku, who is also the Vice President of ACI-Africa, said Nigeria’s aviation sector was experiencing significant growth amid rising passenger demand and increased airline capacity across the continent.

She noted that Africa’s international passenger demand grew by 6.4 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), while global international demand declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period.

The FAAN boss added that Africa’s overall passenger demand increased by 5.2 per cent, placing the continent second only to Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to her, Nigeria’s aviation market has continued to expand, with the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recording a 24.1 per cent increase in scheduled seat capacity in September, the fastest growth among Africa’s 10 largest airports.

She further disclosed that Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity reached 1.19 million seats in September 2026, representing a 37.4 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.

Onabanjo-Kuku attributed the growth to currency reforms, new aircraft leasing agreements and increasing confidence among international airlines operating in the country.

“Since the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development took office, several airlines have resumed operations in Nigeria, and more are expected soon,” she said.

She, however, cautioned that the expansion of the aviation industry must be matched by deliberate efforts to address the sector’s structural challenges, including inadequate funding, infrastructure gaps, high operating costs and limited connectivity.