It does appear that the intersection of free movement of persons in Africa and aviation development is gradually becoming more pronounced in the minds of policy makers on the continent. The increasing number of African countries removing entry visa for African nationals would seem to suggest this. In the past month, Togo and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) have announced free entry for African citizens; they join states like Benin, Rwanda and Seychelles who have streamlined entry formalities for Africans to visit their countries.

No doubt one of the impediments to the full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and indeed the growth of the African air transport industry is the restrictive visa environment on the continent. It is also true that within the regional blocs on the continent free movement exists for citizens of member countries but outside of these blocs, are walls and barriers impeding free trade, tourism, aviation and general economic growth. We applaud the courage of these states who are opening up their territories to Africans and encourage other countries yet to do so to follow.

In the same vein of encouraging mobility within the continent, it is very heart-warming that the government of Cote D’Ivoire has commenced implementation of 25% reduction in passenger and security charges on air tickets. This is in line with the high-level measure adopted by Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that all ECOWAS Member States should remove taxes applied to air transport and reduce passenger and security charges by 25 percent with effect from January 1, 2026.

We reiterate that taxes and charges cause high air fares which in turn make travelling within Africa expensive and suppress demand. Therefore, we call on all West African states to implement this agreement without further delay and establish measures to ensure the benefits are passed onto the travelers in terms of lower ticket fares.

The excellent performance by Nigeria and South Africa at their respective International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) Audit for Aviation Safety is commendable. Safety remains the bedrock of our industry and these results reward the attention paid to aviation safety by African countries over the years.

We congratulate the Honourable Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development of Nigeria, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN on his appointment as the African Champion for the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme (IATP) of the African Development Bank. Minister Keyamo is fully grounded in his understanding of the challenges facing African aviation and we believe his appointment will lead to quantum implementation of projects to grow the African aviation industry.

This June/July 2026 edition of the Aviation & Allied Business Journal focuses on the Insurance segment of the Aviation Finance ecosystem in Africa. We present here a well-researched article put together by the Special Risk Team of Boff & Co., a leading insurance brokerage firm in Africa. We also bring you news on Nigeria’s new Aviation Leasing Company, and the appointment of acting CEOs at Airport company South Africa and South African Airways.

Our Interview Guest for the edition, Mr. Dawit Lemma, Chairperson of African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), posits that with accurate data the contributions of the Business Aviation sector in Africa would become clearer and the sector would be able to attract more support.

Finally, Aviation & Allied Business will be fully represented at the African Aviation Convention & Expo being organized by the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and the African Union in Lome, Togo from June 15 to 19, 2026. We hope to see you there.

Thank you.

Capt. Edward Boyo