The African Development Bank has appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to spearhead its $7 billion Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa, positioning Nigeria at the centre of a major continental aviation reform initiative.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Wednesday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood.
According to the statement, the appointment followed what the AfDB described as Nigeria’s leadership and ongoing reforms in the aviation sector. The bank said Keyamo would play a leading role in driving the implementation of the aviation transformation programme across the continent.
The statement noted that the initiative, known as the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa, has been allocated $7 billion to modernise Africa’s aviation industry, improve infrastructure, and attract private and institutional investments.
“Due to what it describes as Nigeria’s leadership and vision in respect of various policy reforms to transform Nigeria’s aviation sector, the African Development Bank has appointed Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, as the African Champion to drive its programme that has been developed to invest substantially in aviation in Africa,” the statement said.
The AfDB said the programme aims to address the continent’s low contribution to global air traffic, with African carriers currently accounting for less than three per cent despite the continent’s large population and growing economy.
Keyamo is also expected to attend the AfDB Annual Meeting in Brazzaville on May 28, 2026, where a Letter of Intent between Nigeria and the bank is scheduled to be formally signed.
The Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme was earlier unveiled by the AfDB at the Airlines, Capital and Connectivity Forum in Nairobi as part of efforts to modernise and integrate Africa’s aviation sector.
The programme is built around three major pillars, including the operationalisation of the Single African Air Transport Market, strengthening aviation safety oversight and regulatory compliance, and developing aviation skills to improve efficiency and create employment opportunities.
AfDB officials said the initiative would help improve air connectivity across Africa, upgrade airport infrastructure, expand access to aircraft financing, and promote climate-aligned aviation development.
The Single African Air Transport Market, a flagship initiative under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, seeks to liberalise air transport across the continent by creating a unified aviation market. The initiative is expected to improve connectivity, boost trade and tourism, and strengthen regional economic integration through open skies policies.
Nigeria is among the 34 African countries that have signed onto the SAATM initiative, representing more than 80 per cent of Africa’s aviation market.
