By Sola Ojo, Abuja
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has confirmed Nigeria’s participation in the 8th Africa-Ireland Economic Forum, scheduled to take place on June 24, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland.
He is also slated to deliver a keynote address at the high-level forum.
The Minister made this known during a courtesy visit by the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Peter Ryan, at his office in Abuja.
Keyamo highlighted the significant strides made in Nigeria’s aviation sector under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the sector has witnessed remarkable reforms within just two years.
He emphasized Nigeria’s recent efforts to enhance its compliance with the Cape Town Convention on the dry leasing of aircraft.
According to the Minister, following the preparation and signing of a new Practice Direction, Nigeria’s compliance score was upgraded by the Aviation Working Group (AWG) from 49.5% to 70.5%.
Additionally, the signing of the Administrative Rules on aircraft repossession, known as the Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorization (IDERA), further improved Nigeria’s score from 70.5% to 75.5%, positioning Nigeria among the top-ranking African countries in aviation compliance.
Keyamo also disclosed that the recently revised insurance regulations would further support the aviation sector.
“These regulations are designed to improve IDERA implementation, offer flexibility for local operators under the Cape Town Convention framework, and ultimately enhance investor confidence in Nigeria’s aviation industry”, the Minister said.
In his remarks, Ambassador Peter Ryan commended the progress made in Nigeria’s aviation industry and expressed Ireland’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties with Nigeria.
He noted that the purpose of his visit was to explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration, foreign direct investment, and technical partnerships in the aviation sector. Ryan identified key areas of interest such as training, green aviation, job creation, and investment facilitation.
Describing Nigeria as a country of immense potential, the Ambassador said Nigerians in Ireland are excelling in various sectors of the economy and emphasized the importance of Nigeria’s participation at the forum to showcase its aviation sector to the global community.