Nigeria’s Minister Calls for Strengthened Regional Cooperation, As Najomo Emphasizes Safety, Security and regulatory harmonization

Oru Leonard

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has emphasized the need for institutionalizing the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) to transform it into a permanent and fully structured entity. This call was made during the 18th Plenary Session of BAG, held at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja from May 19 to 21, 2025.

Keyamo highlighted BAG’s achievements, including strengthening aviation safety, efficiency, and oversight across the region, ensuring compliance with international best practices, and reinforcing regional collaboration. He urged stakeholders to support the renewed transformation, emphasizing that a structured BAG would serve as a beacon of excellence, guiding the aviation sector towards greater efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness.

The Minister also stressed the urgent need to implement the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), to unlock the immense potential of air connectivity across the continent. He called on member states to move beyond commitments and take coordinated steps toward making SAATM a reality, promoting open opportunity and reducing fragmentation.

“Let us leave this meeting with a shared determination to elevate BAG into a true model of African aviation solidarity” Keyamo stated.

In his welcome address, Captain Chris Najomo, Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to BAG and its ideals of cooperation, safety, and integration. He emphasized the importance of advancing aviation safety, security, regulatory harmonization, and sustainable development across the region.

He listed some of the challenges to include infrastructure gaps, personnel shortages, emerging safety risks and the imperative for digital transformation in aviation.

He noted that BAG continues to serve as a beacon of sub-regional cooperation, and it is inspiring to witness the progress we have made together in ensuring a safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible air transport sector in line with the “No Country Left Behind” initiative by ICAO.

The DGCA noted that “Nigeria, being a driving force in the sub-regional group, remains steadfast in its fervent support for the laudable objectives of BAG and is committed to playing an active and constructive role in seeing to the realization of such air transport sector in West Africa and beyond.”

“While we chart a bold path forward for BAG in particular, and Africa & global aviation in general, let us keep our eyes on the prize – a safe, secure, and unified aviation sector in West Africa” he noted.

The Head of the BAG Secretariat Fansu Bojang who is also the Director General of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said more needs to be done to unlock the potentials of the subregion.

“As a group, we have furthered the dreams of the founding fathers of BAG and through the process pulled the industry out of the abyss we once found ourselves in and placed it on the pedestal”, he said adding that the Group must work to surmount to identified challenges.

Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation, Sen. Buhari Abdulfatai represented by Sen. Augustine Akobundu said the National Assembly is committed to the ideas of BAG and supports harmonised West African aviation community.

“Nigeria recognises the importune pf regional cooperation in advancing the aviation safety, security and development. We acknowledge the role of BAG in promoting capacity building shared standards and technical assistance among member states” he said.

He also called for policy harmonisation adding that he NASS is committed to enhanced regulatory framework for safety and security, improved safety oversights, strategic interests in aviation infrastructure, regional cooperation and harmonisation of polices.

BAG’s Achievements include Strengthened aviation safety, efficiency, and oversight across the region

On the way forward, there is an urgent need for coordinated steps toward making SAATM a reality.

The 3-Day Plenary Session, and the council of Ministers Meeting, hosted by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), witnessed participation of the seven member countries of the BAG. The States include Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Gambia, Cape Verde and Sierra Leone.

The meeting aims to elevate BAG into a true model of African aviation solidarity, promoting a safe, secure, and unified aviation sector in West Africa.