Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, has unveiled major reforms aimed at attracting global and private sector investments to boost the country’s aviation infrastructure.
According to africa.businessinsider, speaking at a world press conference for the launch of Africa’s first aeronautics university in Abuja, Keyamo emphasised that Nigeria is positioning itself as the continent’s aviation hub through targeted partnerships and infrastructure projects.
Nigeria opens skies to global investors
“We are concessioning airports and attracting maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) investors, even with local partners.
“In Lagos, I recently launched one of the biggest MRO facilities capable of handling wide-body aircraft. It’s being done in collaboration with Brazilian manufacturers, that’s direct foreign investment in action,” Keyamo said.
The minister highlighted new initiatives designed to ease leasing barriers and attract global aircraft leasing firms.
According to him, Nigeria is on track to receive its first dry-lease aircraft in nearly two decades, signaling growing investor confidence.
Global leasing giants eye Africa’s fast-growing market
“We’re softening the ground for local operators to access dry leases globally.
“For the first time in almost 20 years, we’ll receive a dry-leased aircraft, a major milestone for our domestic carriers,” he stated while responding to questions from Business Insider Africa.
Keyamo also revealed that major international aviation players, including Aircap, the Dublin-based aircraft leasing giant, and China’s COMAC, are exploring partnerships with Nigeria. COMAC, he said, plans to deploy its C919 aircraft for domestic routes in Nigeria, with future expansion prospects across Africa.
Industry observers say the new aeronautics university and accompanying policy reforms could save African nations millions of dollars annually spent training pilots abroad, while strengthening the region’s aviation independence.
“By investing in our own aviation capacity,” Keyamo asserted, “Africa can stop outsourcing its skies to others.”
