Nigeria, Airbus sign agreement to boost aviation capacity

As part of efforts of establishing Nigeria as a leader in regional and continental flight operations, the Federal Government has signed a Working Together Agreement with an aircraft manufacturing giant, Airbus, in Toulouse, France.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who signed the agreement, was accompanied by members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and key industry stakeholders.

Barrister Festus Keyamo said the agreement will provide Infrastructure & Technical Support as Airbus will provide comprehensive consulting for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, flight operations, and aviation market insights.

He noted that the agreement will also lead to fleet expansion: Leveraging the successful integration of the Airbus A220 (as seen with Ibom Air), to establish Nigeria as a leader in regional and continental flight operations.

Other benefits of the agreement are: Human Capital Development: Creating high-value jobs for the next generation of Nigerian talents through specialized training programs for pilots, engineers, and cabin crew.

Market Leadership: Aligning with Airbus’ Global Market Forecast, which predicts a demand for 1,490 new aircraft in Africa over the next two decades. Nigeria aims to capture a dominant share of this growth by utilizing its geographic advantage as a global bridge.

The visit concluded with a commitment to further technical exchanges, including upcoming inspections of Airbus’ Defence & Space and Helicopter divisions.