…Calls For Resilient Airports, Improved African Connectivity
BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that Nigeria recorded an Effective Implementation score of 91.45 per cent following the 2026 International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission.
Keyamo, who disclosed this recently in Abuja, said the performance represented Nigeria’s highest-ever result and demonstrated the progress being made in the country’s aviation sector.
The minister spoke at the opening ceremony of the 35th Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Annual General Assembly, 76th Board and Committee Meetings, Regional Conference and Exhibition.
The event, which brought together airport leaders, aviation professionals, regulators, investors and development partners from across Africa and beyond, was held under the theme: “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience.”
According to Keyamo, the 91.45 per cent score should not be regarded as the destination of Nigeria’s aviation reforms but as a new baseline for further improvements.
“This achievement demonstrates that sustained reform, professional commitment and institutional collaboration can deliver measurable results. Let me be clear, however, that 91.45 per cent is not our destination. It is our new baseline. We must continue to raise the bar,” he said.
The minister said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was implementing reforms aimed at improving aviation safety, infrastructure, investment, connectivity and the sector’s contribution to economic development.
He identified the rehabilitation and expansion of Terminal 1 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as a major intervention designed to transform the facility into a modern, efficient and passenger-focused international gateway.
Keyamo said airports should be viewed beyond their traditional roles as facilities for aircraft take-offs and landings, describing them as economic ecosystems that support employment, tourism, logistics, trade and investment.
“An airport is not simply a place where aircraft land and take off. It is an economic ecosystem. It creates employment, supports tourism and logistics, attracts investment, facilitates trade and connects businesses to markets,” he said.
He added that Nigeria was encouraging greater private-sector participation in airport infrastructure and services while maintaining safety, security, service and public interest standards.
The minister also listed Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, aircraft leasing and cargo infrastructure among the areas the government was supporting as part of efforts to strengthen the aviation value chain.
“Our ambition is straightforward: Nigeria should not merely consume aviation services. We must increasingly produce aviation value. And we believe Africa should do the same,” he said.
On the future of African aviation, Keyamo called for stronger connectivity between African cities, noting that travelling between two destinations on the continent should not be more difficult than travelling from Africa to destinations outside the continent.
He urged African governments, airlines, airport operators and regulators to strengthen cooperation and support the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
According to him, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an opportunity for aviation to support economic integration by improving the movement of people, goods and services across the continent.
“Africa needs stronger intra-African connectivity, commercially viable airports, appropriate regulatory frameworks and closer cooperation among governments, airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders,” he said.
Keyamo further called for the adoption of digital transformation, smarter infrastructure, data-driven decision-making and innovative commercial models to improve airport operations.
He said the airports of the future must be safe, efficient, financially sustainable, technologically enabled, environmentally responsible and capable of responding to disruptions.
The minister identified pandemics, geopolitical tensions, economic shocks, climate events, cyber threats and infrastructure failures as challenges that could affect aviation operations, stressing that resilience must be incorporated into airport planning and management.
He, however, cautioned that technology must not undermine the human aspect of aviation, insisting that passenger experience should remain a key measure of airport performance.
“Technology is only meaningful when it makes a person’s journey safer, easier, faster and more dignified,” Keyamo said.
He called on ACI Africa members to use the conference to share experiences, develop capacity, attract investment and formulate policies that would strengthen the continent’s aviation industry.
Keyamo commended the President of ACI Africa, Fabrice Grondin, the Secretary General, Ali Tounsi, and the organisation’s board and committees for their leadership.
He also acknowledged the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, who serves as Vice-President of ACI Africa, describing her contribution as a reflection of the growing role of Nigerian aviation professionals in the continent.
The minister said the conference should produce practical outcomes, including partnerships, investments, implemented ideas and concrete commitments.
“Let discussions at this conference become policies. Let partnerships become projects. Let innovation become everyday practice. And let resilience become a design principle for every airport we build or transform,” he said.
Keyamo declared the 35th ACI Africa Annual General Assembly, Board and Committee Meetings, Regional Conference and Exhibition open, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to working with African governments, airport operators, airlines, regulators, investors and development partners to build a safer, competitive, sustainable and resilient aviation sector.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
