Nigeria is pushing to expand direct air connections across African markets as the Federal Government moves to remove route restrictions that have constrained intra-African travel and increased the cost and complexity of doing business across the continent.
Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said Nigeria was leveraging the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to strengthen regional connectivity, while positioning its airports as gateways for West and Central African traffic.
The move comes as African economies seek to translate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into higher volumes of cross-border trade, with inadequate transport links remaining one of the practical constraints to the movement of people and goods.
Keyamo said improved direct air connectivity would be critical to supporting commercial activity as African markets become more integrated.
“Bridging the gaps in intra-African routes is important to sustaining commercial activity under AfCFTA,” the minister said.
Nigeria takes bigger role in African aviation integration
Nigeria’s aviation ambitions are also gaining recognition at the continental level.
Keyamo said the African Development Bank (AfDB) had recognised Nigeria’s role in African aviation integration and appointed the country to lead a programme focused on integrating air transport infrastructure.
The development gives Nigeria an opportunity to influence the design of regional aviation infrastructure while seeking to expand the role of its own airports in connecting African commercial centres.
The government is pursuing direct connections between Nigeria and other African markets as part of that strategy.
The Abuja-Cameroon route, Keyamo said, showcases the connectivity gaps the government wants to address, while other route applications are currently undergoing regulatory processing.
Bilateral restrictions constrain regional traffic
Despite the push for greater connectivity, the minister identified bilateral restrictions and limited access to fifth-freedom traffic rights as continuing obstacles to the expansion of regional services.
Fifth-freedom rights allow an airline to carry passengers or cargo between two foreign countries on a service connected to its home market. Restrictions on these rights can limit airlines’ ability to develop commercially viable regional networks and reduce direct travel options.
Airports targeted as regional gateways
The federal government is also seeking to make Nigerian airports more competitive as entry and transit points for West and Central African traffic.
Keyamo said the strategy would involve improving point-to-point regional services and making it easier for airlines to access aircraft.
Aircraft availability remains a major issue for African aviation, where fleet constraints can restrict route frequency, limit network expansion and make it difficult for carriers to respond quickly to new demand.
The increased focus on aircraft availability is also being reflected in Nigeria’s domestic market.
Keyamo attributed the reduction in domestic airfares from peak levels of about N400,000 to N500,000 to increased aircraft capacity and greater competition.
He cited the entry of Enugu Air, prospective operators including Caliphate Airlines, and fleet expansion by existing airlines as factors adding capacity to the market.
Nigeria is also investing in aviation infrastructure and regulatory capacity as it seeks to create a more stable operating environment for airlines and investors.
Keyamo pointed to improvements in air-navigation infrastructure and regulatory oversight, citing Nigeria’s ICAO safety oversight implementation score of more than 91 percent as evidence of progress.
Stronger regulatory oversight is particularly significant for a sector in which investor confidence depends heavily on safety standards, operational reliability and regulatory predictability.
The government is seeking to combine those improvements with infrastructure development and greater aircraft availability to support a larger aviation market.
