Aviation Minister Leads Nigerian Delegation To Global Aviation Finance Talks In Dublin

Nigeria has stepped up its aviation diplomacy on the global stage as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, led a high-powered delegation to the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Global Conference in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
The high-level conference, which convenes leading aircraft lessors, financiers, airline executives and policymakers from across the world, provided Nigeria with a strategic platform to advance discussions on fleet modernisation, airline financing, and long-term competitiveness.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Ona Najomo; Director of Air Traffic Management at the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Ahmed Tijani; as well as chief executives of leading Nigerian airlines, notably Toyin Olajide of Air Peace, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo of United Nigeria Airlines, and Mr. George Urensi of Ibom Air, among other key industry stakeholders.

For the second consecutive year, Nigeria attracted significant attention at the conference, with participants recalling Minister Keyamo’s widely acclaimed performance at the 2025 edition. Observers noted that this year’s engagements further underscored Nigeria’s growing credibility and influence within the global aviation financing ecosystem.
Nigeria’s push for aviation reform gained fresh momentum on the second day of the conference when the Minister led the delegation into a strategic meeting with Aercap, the world’s largest aircraft leasing company. The Aercap team was led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Angus Kelly.
Discussions at the meeting focused on establishing a long-term partnership aligned with Nigeria’s fleet modernisation agenda, including access to modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, innovative leasing solutions and flexible financing structures to strengthen the operational capacity of Nigerian airlines.

According to the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Mr. Tunde Moshood, the engagement with Aercap represents a critical step towards repositioning Nigerian carriers for improved efficiency, enhanced safety standards and stronger competitiveness on regional and international routes.
The Minister and his delegation also held high-level talks with Afreximbank, led by Ms. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, and Ms. Helen Brume, Director and Global Head of Project and Asset-Based Finance.
The discussions reinforced Nigeria’s intention to deepen aviation finance partnerships and leverage Afreximbank’s role in providing structured financing, trade-support instruments and risk-mitigation solutions for African airlines.
Moshood explained that both parties emphasised the importance of a collaborative government-industry framework that positions aviation as a driver of economic growth, regional integration and intra-African trade, with special focus on airline sustainability and long-term value creation.
Through these sustained international engagements, Minister Keyamo continues to advance a proactive, market-oriented aviation strategy aimed at making Nigeria an attractive destination for global lessors, financiers and investors, while delivering a safer, stronger and more competitive aviation sector for the country.