May 27, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has been appointed by the African Development Bank Group to champion its $7 billion Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa (IATP), in what the bank described as recognition of Nigeria’s “leadership and vision” in aviation sector reforms.
The appointment was conveyed in an official communication to the minister ahead of the African Development Bank’s 2026 Annual Meetings scheduled for Thursday, May 28, in Brazzaville, where Nigeria is also expected to formally sign a Letter of Intent and the IATP Nigeria Country Compact with the bank.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the AfDB said Nigeria had demonstrated exceptional commitment in the early phase of the continent-wide aviation initiative to modernise Africa’s aviation ecosystem and mobilise private and institutional investment into the sector.
The bank disclosed that the IATP has been designed as a strategic platform to de-risk aviation investments, improve regional connectivity and transform aviation into a catalyst for economic growth and continental integration across Africa.
AfDB noted that despite Africa accounting for nearly 18 percent of the global population, African airlines currently contribute less than three percent of global air traffic, a development the programme seeks to reverse through large-scale financing, policy coordination and infrastructure modernisation.
In a letter signed by the Director of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Department of the bank, Mike Salawou, the AfDB commended Nigeria for completing the IATP country survey, advancing work on its country compact and identifying concrete opportunities for aircraft financing within the country.
The bank also praised the Federal Government for actively exploring the establishment of a Nigerian aviation financing platform that could potentially serve as a model for other African countries.
“It is in this spirit that the Bank is pleased to appoint you as the Champion of the Integrated Aviation Transformation Program for Africa (IATP)”, the letter stated.
The AfDB further disclosed that Keyamo would participate in a high-level side event during the annual meetings titled, “Platform Solutions for Africa’s Transformation: DeRisking Aviation and Health Systems through Innovative Finance.”
The event, to be hosted by AfDB President Dr Sidi Ould Tah, is expected to bring together development partners, regulators, institutional investors and airline operators to discuss financing models for Africa’s aviation and health sectors.
As IATP champion, Keyamo is expected to present Nigeria’s aviation reform agenda to international stakeholders, help shape the programme’s aircraft finance framework and deepen strategic partnerships between Nigeria, the AfDB, the Government of Japan and other development finance institutions.
The bank said Nigeria’s early engagement and policy direction had positioned the country as one of the foremost champions of the programme and expressed optimism that other African member states would emulate Nigeria’s level of commitment.
The signing ceremony of the Nigeria Country Compact, according to the bank, will mark Nigeria’s transition from strategic engagement to full country-level implementation of the aviation transformation programme.
The AfDB added that it looked forward to celebrating Nigeria’s “leading role in shaping a new era for aviation finance in Africa.”
About The Author
