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Nigeria and Russia have agreed to renegotiate their Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) which dates back to 1967, and aim to conclude and sign a new deal within six months, with the signing set for Saint Petersburg in April 2027.
The decision came out of a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. Nigeria’s delegation was led by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who met Dmitry Stanislavovich Zverev, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation. The talks focused on the need to modernise the rules governing air services between the two countries.
Both sides will now work toward a new BASA that reflects contemporary realities and new opportunities in the sector. Each country has formed a negotiating team, and both teams are to begin work immediately to keep to the schedule.
The new agreement is expected to give air transport relations between the two countries an updated framework, with potential gains in connectivity, closer institutional cooperation and mutually beneficial engagement between their aviation sectors.
Nigeria’s delegation also included Capt. Chris Najomo, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Dr. Danjuma Ismaila, Registrar of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT); and directors from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the NCAA.
The two parties explored other areas of cooperation in aviation and related sectors. Both committed to examining these opportunities in the coming months to deepen bilateral relations.
