Nigeria expands aviation cooperation through safety reforms and India ties

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is pursuing new collaborative frameworks to enhance the nation’s aviation sector through both domestic safety measures and international partnerships.

Following a fatal Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, involving an ATR-42, Keyamo and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke agreed to strengthen cooperation between civil and military aviation authorities. A joint committee comprising officials from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Air Force will be established to collaborate on aviation safety, airworthiness, aircraft certification, and training.

Simultaneously, the Ministry is seeking to deepen bilateral ties with India. During a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Abhishek Singh, Keyamo expressed interest in leveraging India’s aviation expertise to improve Nigeria’s infrastructure. The proposed partnership focuses on capacity building and knowledge transfer to equip Nigerian pilots, engineers, and air traffic controllers with global competitive skills. A technical team has been directed to finalize the details of this international cooperation.