Keyamo Emphasises Aviation , Tourism Key Drivers of National Development, Receives Miss World Nigeria
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reaffirmed the strong connection between aviation and tourism, describing both sectors as critical drivers of national development and global image projection.
According to the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood who made this known in a press release, speaking while receiving Miss World Nigeria, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, and her entourage in Abuja on 3oth June, 2026, Keyamo pledged the Ministry’s support for her participation in the forthcoming Miss World Pageant in Vietnam.
The Minister emphasised that beauty queens play an important role in promoting their country’s image and tourism potential on the global stage.
“For us in aviation, the basic duty of a beauty queen is to promote the image of her country and tourism. Without aviation, there is really no tourism, and without tourism, a substantial part of aviation loses its commercial appeal. When you stand on the world stage, you are not just representing yourself; you are promoting Nigeria,” he said.
Keyamo noted that the success of international pageants goes beyond individual achievement, stressing that contestants serve as ambassadors who showcase their nation’s culture, tourism assets and investment potential to the world.
He expressed confidence in Karibi-George’s ability to make Nigeria proud at the global competition, drawing parallels with the achievement of Agbani Darego, whose victory brought international recognition to the country.
“I believe that after Agbani Darego, we now have another very promising prospect on the world stage. We want to do everything within our powers in aviation to support you because this is also about promoting Nigeria’s image and tourism,” the Minister added.
As part of the Ministry’s support, Keyamo directed the Director of Air Transport Management to engage foreign airlines operating in Nigeria to explore the provision of return flight tickets for the Queen’s trip to Vietnam under their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
He also disclosed plans to hold discussions with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on displaying the Queen’s promotional materials at selected international airports, while exploring possible partnerships with Air Peace to support her future international engagements.
Earlier, Karibi-George thanked the Minister for the audience and commended his efforts in advancing Nigeria’s aviation sector. She appealed for institutional support for her participation in the pageant and for her humanitarian project focused on service and empowerment.
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