March 05, (THEWILL) — The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development is organising a high-powered international aviation summit to bring aircraft manufacturers, lessors, financial institutions, and airlines together to unravel the challenge of aircraft acquisition in Nigeria.
The summit, which is a three-day event slated for March 31 to April 2, 2026, at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, will deliberate on the challenges facing Nigerian airlines in aircraft acquisition, the reluctance of lessors to lease aircraft to Nigerian airline operators, and the solution to this challenge.
International organisations expected at the summit include major aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and Bombardier, as well as global and local financial institutions, international insurance companies, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisations, and suppliers. With the theme: “Unlocking Growth, Stability, and Long-Term Returns in Africa’s Largest Mobility Market”, the summit provides a platform for most compelling aviation investment opportunities, combining strong structural passenger demand, government-backed concession frameworks, and significantly under-monetised infrastructure.
Despite its huge potential as Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria is ranked as Africa’s fifth-largest aviation market by seat capacity shortfall rather than demand saturation.
Air travel remains structurally essential due to limited nationwide rail alternatives, thus reinforcing aviation’s role as a critical mobility backbone.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), will use the opportunity offered by the summit to consolidate on achievement already accomplished in bringing aircraft manufacturers, lessors, and airlines together in a new interface after Nigeria signed the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol Practice Direction to fully utilise the new high rating to further develop the aviation industry in Nigeria.
In consolidating this, the Federal Government intends to end the high-risk rating of Nigeria by backing a leasing company with a guarantee for domestic airlines to lease aircraft while it serves as a buffer; so that the country will rebuild its goodwill and become an enviable brand in Africa.
These issues will be brought to the fore during the summit, which will be attended by the Director General of the World Trade Organisation and former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy of Nigeria, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, top bank executives, international financiers, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and aviation stakeholders.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
