The Federal Government will host the maiden Nigeria Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit (NAAIS) in Lagos as part of efforts to attract global aviation investors and strengthen aircraft financing for local airlines.
The summit, scheduled for April 1 and 2 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, will be hosted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
According to the ministry, the event will bring together international aircraft lessors, aviation financiers, airline operators, airport concessionaires, policymakers and institutional investors to explore opportunities within Nigeria’s expanding aviation market.
The summit is expected to focus on aircraft acquisition, financing solutions for local airlines, and investment opportunities in airport infrastructure.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with more than 220 million people, is considered one of the continent’s largest untapped aviation markets. Current air passenger traffic stands at about 15 to 16 million annually, but projections indicate it could rise to 25.7 million passengers by 2029.
Despite its large population, Nigeria currently ranks as the fifth-largest aviation market in Africa by seat capacity, with about 1.16 million scheduled airline seats monthly.
By comparison, Egypt records roughly 2.98 million monthly seats, South Africa about 2.60 million, while Morocco operates around 2.03 million seats, highlighting what analysts describe as a significant capacity gap in Nigeria’s aviation sector.Industry projections also indicate that Africa will require more than 1,600 new aircraft between 2025 and 2044, driven by passenger growth and fleet replacement needs.
The summit, organised under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, will provide a platform for dialogue between Nigerian airlines and global aircraft leasing companies, while also discussing risk mitigation strategies aimed at boosting investor confidence.
It will also explore financing frameworks for airport concession programmes and strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s aircraft leasing ecosystem.
The initiative aligns with the economic reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which aims to improve the ease of doing business and attract private sector investment into critical infrastructure.
Officials say the summit represents a strategic move to connect Nigerian airline operators with international capital markets and leasing institutions in order to improve access to competitive aircraft financing.
The government believes the forum will help address Nigeria’s aircraft capacity gap and position the country as a major aviation investment destination in Africa.
One Comment