The Federal Government of Nigeria has reiterated its support for the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) towards the establishment and operationalisation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the apex regulatory body in charge of civil aviation matters and policies, states that “the Government of Nigeria wishes to notify other State Parties especially States that are signatories to the Declaration of Solemn Commitment that its sky is liberalized in accordance with the YD.”
Capt. Usman Muhtar, Director General of the NCAA explains: “Pursuant to the implementation of the Declaration on the creation of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) in January, 2018 and the Solemn Commitment of the African Union (AU) member States with respect to the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) on establishing the SAATM, the Federal Government of Nigeria wishes to state that it is fully committed to the immediate implementation of the YD under the terms of the Declaration of the Solemn Commitment in line with the AU Agenda 2063.”
According to the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), twenty-seven States are party to the SAATM at the moment while twenty-eight States are yet to sign the Solemn Commitment on liberalization of the African sky.
The States party to the SAATM are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Chad, Togo and Zimbabwe.