June 24, (THEWILL) – The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has taken steps to underscore Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening strategic international alliances in aviation, infrastructure development, and skills advancement, especially in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Minister, who is in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, on a working visit, is participating as one of the special guests at the 8th Africa-Ireland Trade Horizon Conference, is one of the leaders convened from Africa and Ireland to deepen bilateral ties and foster mutually beneficial trade and development partnerships.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Honourable Minister, accompanied by the Charge D’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ireland, Mrs Ibiyemi Ajiboye-Roberts, undertook a technical visit to Newcastle Aerodrome Aviation School located in Wicklow County, Dublin. The delegation was received by the CEO of the institution, Mr John Nugent.
During the tour, the Honourable Minister inspected the school’s impressive fleet of Viper SD4 trainer aircraft, simulation labs, classrooms, and maintenance hangars. The discussions between the Nigerian delegation and the school’s management centred on fostering strategic collaboration between Newcastle Aerodrome and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.
Other key areas of proposed partnership include joint development of aviation training curricula tailored to modern global standards, launching of a collaborative pilot licensing programme between Ireland and Nigeria, and development of ancillary skills in aircraft engineering and air traffic control to meet Nigeria’s growing aviation manpower needs.
The Honourable Minister expressed appreciation for the warm reception and commended the institution’s track record in aviation training. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s openness to partnerships that will strengthen domestic capabilities and boost the local aviation value chain.
This visit further reflects the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to repositioning Nigeria as a hub for aviation excellence in Africa through innovation, international cooperation, and capacity development.
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.
