Nigeria and South Africa have signed a landmark deal to unify civil aviation regulation in Africa. The deal, which was signed during the African Aviation Summit in Abuja on Thursday, is a major step towards the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
SAATM is a project launched in 2018 to liberalize air transport across Africa. It is expected to create over 500,000 jobs and boost the African economy by $4.2 billion.
The deal between Nigeria and South Africa will see the two countries share safety and security best practices and streamline regulations to foster smooth flight arrangements between them. This is expected to lead to improved safety and security standards, lower costs, and increased connectivity across the continent.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General, Capt. Musa Nuhu, said the deal will enhance flight operations between the two countries to almost be like domestic flights. He also said that a single regulatory regime in Africa would unlock opportunities in aviation and enhance the implementation of SAATM.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said he was highly pleased with the deal and expressed optimism that the two countries involved would benefit immensely from it. He said Nigeria needed to learn from South Africa, one of the countries in Africa ahead of it in safety and security standards.
Keyamo said that by cooperating with South Africa, Nigeria is sure to close the gap in safety and security standards and even exceed it. He said the relationship will be symbiotic in terms of guidance and assistance.
