The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has outlined five key priorities he believes are critical to improving connectivity across Africa, warning that the continent can no longer afford to remain one of the least connected regions in the world.
Keyamo made the call in a paper presented on Thursday during the Annual Lecture Series of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport held in Abuja, where he emphasised that improved air connectivity remained central to Africa’s economic growth, industrialisation, and integration.
The minister, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, said aviation should no longer be viewed as a luxury but as economic infrastructure capable of transforming African economies.
Speaking before policymakers, aviation professionals, diplomats, and industry stakeholders, Kuku said Africa’s enormous economic potential would remain largely untapped unless countries deliberately improve movement across borders.
She said, “Air transport is no longer a luxury reserved for a privileged few. In the 21st century, aviation is an economic infrastructure. For a continent as vast and diverse as Africa, where geography often limits road and rail integration, aviation becomes the bridge that connects economies, accelerates trade, and strengthens people-to-people relationships.”
The FAAN boss noted that the vision behind the Yamoussoukro Decision and the Single African Air Transport Market was to dismantle restrictions limiting African airlines and create a more liberalised continental aviation market.
According to her, greater liberalisation would lead to lower airfares, increased flight frequencies, stronger tourism traffic, job creation, and measurable economic growth across the continent.
She stated, “When connectivity improves, investment follows. When investment grows, jobs are created. When jobs are created, poverty declines, and prosperity expands. The cost of inaction is far greater than the challenges of reform.”
Speaking on what she described as practical steps toward achieving the vision, the minister proposed five priorities for accelerating Africa’s connectivity agenda.
She said the first priority should be the acceleration of the Single African Air Transport Market and the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision through gradual and pragmatic liberalisation policies among African countries.
The second priority, according to her, is the harmonisation of legal and judicial systems across Africa to strengthen compliance with the Cape Town Convention and improve dispute resolution mechanisms capable of attracting global aviation financing.
Kuku added that African countries must also unlock innovative financing models and aircraft leasing mechanisms through blended financing structures and regional risk-sharing facilities to support indigenous airlines.
The minister further advocated embedding sustainability into aviation liberalisation by encouraging fuel-efficient aircraft fleets, greener airport infrastructure, and reduced carbon emissions through optimised regional hubs.
She also stressed the need for aggressive investment in human capital development, technical education, aviation institutions, and skills transfer partnerships to prepare young Africans for emerging opportunities within the aerospace industry.
She insisted, “Africa cannot afford a model where liberalisation merely creates markets for foreign dominance while local industries remain weak. We must deliberately grow indigenous capabilities in aircraft maintenance, pilot training, airport services, engineering, and aviation technology. Improving connectivity within Africa is not optional; it is imperative for trade, tourism, industrialisation, and continental competitiveness.”
