Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reiterated Nigeria’s dedication to upholding top-tier global air transport and facilitation standards.
Keyamo made this statement at the 2025 International Civil Aviation Organisation Conference currently taking place in Doha, Qatar.
The minister, who was joined by other global aviation experts and chiefs, including the Minister of Transport of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla; President of the ICAO Council, Salvatore Sciacchitano; and other dignitaries, recalled different feats achieved by Nigeria, especially under the present administration.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s enduring commitment to the goals of ICAO, he highlighted the country’s active involvement since joining the ICAO Council in 1962.
He noted that Nigeria has consistently contributed to advancing aviation development, particularly across the African continent.
Keyamo also underscored Nigeria’s ratification of major international air law instruments, including the Montreal Protocol and key amendments to the Chicago Convention.
Commending Qatar and ICAO for hosting the conference, he praised the initiative as a vital step in reinforcing the shared commitment of member states to the advancement of global air transport facilitation.
Keyamo said, “Nigeria has been recognised as the leading African nation in compliance with global aviation standards, a feat driven by our robust regulatory framework and the professionalism of our aviation workforce.”
Among the achievements he highlighted was the endorsement of the Cape Town Convention and the accompanying Practice Direction on deregistration and export requests for leased aircraft in September 2024.
This development significantly improved Nigeria’s standing on the Aviation Working Group Compliance Index, raising it from 49.5 percent to 70.5 per cent.
Keyamo also noted that the signing of the Irrevocable De-registration and Export Request Authorisation in December 2024 is expected to further raise Nigeria’s Compliance Index to 75.5 per cent.
This improvement would place the country in the ‘High’ category and remove it from the Aviation Working Group watchlist.
He stated that this milestone has enhanced access to aircraft and bolstered international investor confidence in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
He added, “The global aviation leaders were the deployment of e-Gates at Nigeria’s international airports to facilitate seamless passenger clearance for holders of biometric passports, enhance data collection, and support national security operations.”
The minister also commended Nigeria’s collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism on capacity-building programmes focused on leveraging AP/PNR data for improved national security and law enforcement.
“As we gather here to chart the future of global air travel, Nigeria stands ready to support and align with innovative technologies and policies that promote seamless, secure, and efficient aviation operations,” Keyamo stated.
