In the rating of compliance level with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended standards and practices, Nigeria has been adjudged significantly above all the other 53 sovereign states in Africa, especially when assessed in terms of air transport safety, security, and comfort.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who made this known, also announced that aviation operational standards and safety oversight in Nigeria have been the toast at the global arena, while in the African continent, Nigeria has been adjudged the number one (No. 1) among the entire 54 sovereign states in the continent when it comes to compliance with recommended standard operations and practices.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the historic event to flag off Nigerian International Airshow, the first of its kind in Nigeria, President Tinubu said, “Nigeria now ranks No. 1 in Africa for compliance with international aviation standards, improving its Cape Town Convention score from 49.5% to 75.5%, and enabling airlines to access low-cost aircraft financing”.
The President who was ably represented by Chief George Akume, Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, also disclosed the trajectory of the federal government for the industry that, if by 2023 passenger figure was 15.89 million, it has been projected that by 2029, the passenger figure would have risen to 25.7 million passengers, and the projected revenue to the coffers of the federal government was put at $2.58 billion.
Hence, he commended all parties involved in making the airshow a reality and expressed excitement that Nigeria had finally joined the ranks of world-class airshows such as Farnborough, Paris, and Dubai, who are all noted for showcasing innovation, partnerships, and progress.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Bola Tinubu, enthused, “Our aviation sector has come a long way. In 2025, Nigeria celebrates 100 years of aviation history, and this airshow marks a new chapter”.
The President said that the government’s resolve to conserve foreign exchange led to enabling local maintenance through indigenous engineers and technicians in order to save over $250 million spent annually offshore, informed the creation of an enabling environment for establishing maintenance, repair and overall MRO facilities.
Hence, the President commended those that have set the ball rolling- XeJet, United Nigeria Airline and Air Peace- and have begun the construction of MRO for the aviation industry’s use beyond Nigeria, Africa, but would also be made available for use globally.
Mr President enthused, “We have signed agreements with Boeing and Cranfield University to establish state-of-the-art MRO facilities, reducing the $200 million annual capital flight for overseas maintenance.
Aero Contractors and XEJet are leading this transformation with new hubs in Lagos and Abuja”, he said.
Tinubu commended Air Peace for its successful return to service on the London route. He also expressed gratitude to the leadership of all government ministries and agencies involved in having a Nigerian airline to fly the nation’s flag in both Heathrow and Gatwick.
Mr President, who was full of gratitude for the actualisation of the maiden air show, expressed appreciation thus: “I want to thank our Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian International Airshow team for making this event happen”.
He added as he was declaring the event opened, “As we celebrate this airshow, let us honour the engineers, pilots, regulators, and entrepreneurs who have made this progress possible”.
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