…To Seal New Pact April 2027
BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Nigeria and Russia have agreed to renegotiate their 59-year-old Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to strengthen aviation ties and create fresh opportunities for air transport between both countries.
The agreement was reached during a high-level bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Russia’s State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport, Dmitry Stanislavovich Zverev, on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
The existing agreement, which dates back to 1967, is expected to be replaced with a modern framework that reflects current developments and emerging opportunities in the global aviation industry.
Both countries have agreed to conclude negotiations and sign the new agreement in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in April 2027.
To meet the deadline, Nigeria and Russia have set up negotiating teams to begin work immediately, according to a statement by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister.
The new agreement is expected to improve air connectivity, strengthen cooperation between aviation institutions and create opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships between the two countries.
Beyond the review of the air services agreement, the meeting also explored other areas of possible cooperation in aviation and related sectors.
Both sides expressed their commitment to examining these opportunities in the coming months as part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations.
The Nigerian delegation included the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo; the Registrar of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Dr. Danjuma Adamu Ismaila; and directors from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the NCAA.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
