Nigeria and Canada have taken a major step to launch direct flights between both countries while also addressing the issues delaying the new service.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Digital Media to the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Olugbenga Saka said, “the Honorable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, received Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires, H.E. David Sproule, and a delegation from the Canadian High Commission in Abuja to advance talks on a direct air services agreement between Nigeria and Canada.”
Mr. Saka stated that “a high-level Canadian delegation returns to Nigeria in early August, with both sides set to reconvene on August 6 to work through outstanding issues — including Standard Operating Procedures around immigration enforcement, which Canada has flagged as a factor in approving new routes.”
Mr. Saka noted that “the Minister was clear: aviation connectivity is the Ministry’s mandate, and where inter-ministerial collaboration is needed to unlock progress, Nigeria is ready to bring the right institutions to the table.”
Mr. Saka added that “direct flights mean more than convenience. They mean stronger trade ties, deeper people-to-people relations, and a more competitive Nigerian aviation sector on the global stage. The demand has been there for years. Now the framework is catching up.”
