Tinubu’s Aviation Reforms Crash Airfares, Boost Safety as Nigeria Ranks Africa’s Fourth-Largest Market

President Bola Tinubu’s reforms in the aviation sector have crashed airfares, attracted new airlines and aircraft into the Nigerian market, opened new routes and deepened competition, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said.

Keyamo spoke in Abuja at the 35th Airports Council International Africa Annual General Assembly, the 76th Board and Committee Meetings, and the Regional Conference and Exhibition. He said the implementation of the Cape Town Convention and efforts to attract foreign investment and aircraft into the country were designed to address structural challenges and provide long-term solutions.

“We have created healthy competition among the airlines because they now have access to aircraft, and the impact of the reforms is felt across the sector,” Keyamo said.

He identified the rehabilitation and expansion of airport infrastructure as another visible area of progress, citing the ongoing work at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal 1 in Lagos as a major intervention. He said runways and other airport infrastructure across the country were also being upgraded as part of efforts to position Nigeria as a major aviation hub.

Nigeria’s safety performance has improved in tandem. Keyamo noted that the country recorded an effective implementation score of 91.45 per cent following the 2026 International Civil Aviation Organisation validation mission. He described the result as Nigeria’s highest-ever score, but cautioned that it should be regarded as a new baseline rather than a destination.

Beyond domestic gains, the minister said the next major challenge for African aviation was improving connectivity across the continent. “It should not be easier for passengers to travel from an African city to a destination outside the continent than to travel between two African countries,” he said.

He called for stronger intra-African connectivity, commercially viable airports, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and closer cooperation among governments, airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders. He also urged African countries to reduce protectionist policies, arguing that greater cooperation was necessary to unlock the benefits of regional integration.

Keyamo cited the European single-sky model as an example of how countries could work together for broader regional benefit. He said the Single African Air Transport Market and the African Continental Free Trade Area provide important frameworks for improving connectivity and economic integration, adding that the AfCFTA could not achieve its full potential without effective transport links across the continent.

He noted that the African Development Bank and other development institutions had recognised the importance of aviation to the continent’s economic development and were supporting programmes aimed at improving connectivity. He cited the establishment of direct air links between Abuja and Yaoundé as an example of progress, noting that passengers previously had to connect through other countries to make the journey. Several applications for new routes, he said, were before the ministry.

Airports, he argued, must evolve beyond being facilities for aircraft operations and become economic ecosystems supporting tourism, logistics, trade, investment and employment. “The future of African aviation will depend on the ability of airports and governments to improve safety, efficiency, technology, passenger experience and resilience while strengthening connections across the continent,” he said.

In her welcome address, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Vice-President of Airports Council International Africa, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, described the Abuja gathering as a convergence of vision at a consequential moment for African aviation.

Referencing the conference theme, *Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience*, she said it was not merely a conference title but a strategic mandate and a call to action.

Citing the latest data from the International Air Transport Association, she said African airlines recorded a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in July 2026. “Let me put that in perspective: while global international demand actually declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period, Africa was expanding. We are not just participating in global aviation recovery; we are leading it,” she said.

The continent’s overall passenger demand grew by 5.2 per cent, second only to Latin America and the Caribbean and substantially ahead of the global average of 0.2 per cent. “This is not a marginal improvement. This continent is on the move. Nigeria, my home and the host nation for this conference, is proud to be at the forefront of this growth story,” she said.

“Our aviation market now ranks as the fourth-largest in Africa, with over 18.8 million domestic and international passengers recorded in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent. Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s ten largest airports in September, with a remarkable 24.1 per cent increase, and the momentum is building.”

According to OAG data, Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from the same period last year, the fastest growth among Africa’s top ten aviation markets. Onabanjo-Kuku attributed this to currency reforms, new aircraft leasing agreements and growing confidence from international carriers. “Since the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development took office, several airlines have resumed operations in Nigeria, and more are expected soon,” she said.

But she was candid about the structural headwinds. Africa accounts for just one per cent of global air traffic despite having 18 per cent of the world’s population. Load factors remain below global averages, and the financial viability of African airlines remains fragile. “In Nigeria alone, with a population exceeding 220 million, we record approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports. The potential is vast, but the gap between where we are and where we could be remains substantial,” she said.

“This is not a reason for despair; it is a reason for deliberate, strategic action. The challenges are real: funding constraints, infrastructure gaps, high operating costs, fragmented connectivity, and the persistent pressure to keep charges low while delivering world-class facilities. These are the very issues this conference has been designed to address.”

Since 2023, FAAN has pursued a deliberate transformation agenda. On infrastructure, the authority has rehabilitated a major runway at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, upgraded terminals and improved airfield lighting while maintaining operations. “We have focused on the fundamentals: safe runways, functional terminals and reliable systems,” she said. On passenger experience, FAAN has established a Passenger Experience Hub to make speed, predictability, comfort and human assistance central to operations. On digital transformation, fast check-in systems, automated e-passport gates, enhanced security systems and passenger-data analytics are reshaping operations.

On quality management, FAAN achieved dual ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications in January 2026. “This is not merely a certificate on a wall; it represents a systematic commitment to quality, environmental responsibility and continual improvement,” she said. More than 3,500 personnel have been trained and certified through ICAO and ACI programmes. On cargo and trade, the authority has retooled its Directorate of Cargo Development Services to position Nigeria’s airports as logistics platforms for regional and international trade.

Onabanjo-Kuku outlined five imperatives that will define the next generation of African airports. First, revenue diversification beyond aeronautical charges, with airports becoming commercial ecosystems anchored by logistics parks, hospitality, retail, data-driven services and airport-city development. Second, intelligent infrastructure, including predictive maintenance, reliable power, digital operational systems and data analytics. Third, operational resilience as an organisational capability rather than an emergency plan. Fourth, human capital development, because “infrastructure depreciates, technology becomes obsolete, but a competent, accountable and continuously learning workforce multiplies every investment.” Fifth, commercially viable partnerships with private investors, airlines, technology providers, logistics companies and development finance institutions.

She called on African governments to establish predictable, long-term and commercially disciplined frameworks for airport infrastructure investment, giving airport leaders clear mandates, predictable resources, room to manage commercially and accountability for measurable results. She urged development partners and financial institutions to recognise African airports as strategic economic infrastructure worthy of sustained investment, and asked fellow airport leaders to embrace bold, strategic prioritisation.

“The decade ahead belongs to Africa. Our passenger growth is outpacing the rest of the world. Our infrastructure is being renewed. Our institutions are strengthening. Our connectivity is expanding. The challenges are real, but so is our resilience. We have operated through currency crises, health emergencies, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty. We have kept people and economies connected. We have shown that African aviation does not merely survive; it adapts, innovates and grows,” she said.

“On behalf of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the government and people of Nigeria, and the Airports Council International Africa, I welcome you. May our deliberations be productive, our partnerships enduring, and our journey together transformative. Welcome to Abuja. Welcome to the future of African aviation.”