By Editor 

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has described aviation as a connecting tissue that binds commerce, tourism, and manufacturing value chains. 

Keyamo made the remarks at a high-level webinar and virtual dialogue organised by leading law firm, Aluko & Oyebode.

The webinar brought together top aviation, legal, and economic experts to discuss the future of air transport across Africa.

It was themed, “Navigating the African Skies: Legal, Economic and Trade Pathways for the Future of Aviation in Africa”.

The event was convened to explore the frameworks, policy developments, financing strategies, and collaborative pathways required for sustainable expansion of the aviation sector across the continent.

In his keynote address titled: “Unlocking Africa’s Aviation Potential: The Open Skies Imperative,” Keyamo emphasised that aviation must be seen as core economic infrastructure and not a luxury.

He called for renewed commitment to the Yamoussoukro Decision and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), acknowledging that although implementation has been slow, the economic promise of open skies remained real, measurable, and urgent.

The Minister identified three primary areas critical to unlocking Africa’s aviation potential. In his submission, Keyamo highlighted Nigeria’s recent reforms—including Federal High Court practice directions enhancing compliance with the Cape Town Convention—as major steps toward strengthening investor confidence and reducing financing costs for airlines. 

He urged wider harmonisation of legal frameworks across Africa to create an enabling environment for aircraft leasing, dispute resolution, and asset protection.

He underscored the importance of modernising airline fleets and deepening collaboration with manufacturers, lessors, and global technical partners. 

Citing Nigeria’s Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing as a model, he stressed that such partnerships are essential for building local capability and integrating African carriers into global supply chains.

The Minister called for robust safety oversight, fair competition rules, and deliberate investments in human capital and local industry. “Open skies must work for African jobs and African businesses,” he noted.

He, therefore, advocated for expanded MRO facilities, training centres, and value creation on the continent.

The Minister proposed a five-point action plan to fast-track aviation growth across Africa such as; accelerated SAATM implementation using phased, criteria-based liberalisation, harmonised legal and judicial frameworks supporting aircraft financing and lowering capital costs, innovative financing and leasing models, including risk-sharing facilities and local-currency instruments, embedding sustainability through fuel-efficient fleets and environmentally responsible aviation growth and investing in people and institutions—training, regulatory capacity-building, and local technical ecosystems.

He warned that delaying reforms would leave Africa disconnected and economically disadvantaged.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s dedication to implementing pragmatic, safe, and inclusive liberalisation. He highlighted that Nigeria will continue strengthening its legal frameworks, building international partnerships, modernizing aviation infrastructure, and ensuring Nigerians reap tangible economic benefits through improved connectivity and reduced air logistics costs.

He further called on African governments, private sector partners, financiers, and young professionals to embrace aviation as a driver of continental integration and prosperity.

Concluding, Keyamo urged African states to convert the long-standing commitments of the Yamoussoukro Decision and SAATM into concrete gains—more routes, lower fares, modern fleets, efficient airports, and millions of jobs.

“Open skies is not just a policy choice—it is an economic imperative for Africa’s future,” Keyamo declared. “Let us make the African sky a space of opportunity—open, safe, and prosperous for all.”

The webinar featured an eminent line-up of speakers and panelists, including: Tonye Krukrubo, SAN – Partner, Aluko & Oyebode, Shalini Bhuchar – Senior Consultant, Hogan Lovells, Chris Diaz, EBS – Executive Chairman, Adili Group & Director, ALN Kenya, Tanzania & Middle East.

Others are Richard Goss – Partner, Hogan Lovells Anton Chambers – Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, and Oghogho Makinde – Partner, Aluko & Oyebode.