Mr.Festus Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development,Mr.Festus Keyamo has posited that the successful airport of tomorrow will be one that understands its passengers, manages its resources intelligently, develops diversified revenue streams and builds strong relationships with airlines, communities and governments.

He  made known his position while speaking

at the Opening Ceremony of the 35th ACI Africa Annual General Assembly, 76th Board and Committee Meetings, Regional Conference and Exhibition in Abuja, Nigeria on Sepetember 22,2026.

For African airports, this is both a challenge and an extraordinary opportunity. Our continent has some of the world’s fastest-growing urban centres and some of its most compelling tourism, cultural and business destinations

He said if we can match that potential with efficient gateways, reliable connectivity and globally competitive service standards, aviation can become an even stronger engine of African development.

“This is why forums such as this matter. They allow us to learn from one another, confront common challenges honestly and return home with solutions that can be implemented.”

Speaking further,Keyamo told the gathering that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Federal Government is pursuing reforms designed to strengthen safety, infrastructure, investment, connectivity and the economic contribution of aviation.

“We are seeing tangible progress.

Following the 2026 ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission, Nigeria recorded an Effective Implementation score of 91.45 percent, our highest-ever result and well above the global average.”

This achievement,he said demonstrates that sustained reform, professional commitment and institutional collaboration can deliver measurable results.

“ Let me be clear, however, that 91.45 percent is not our destination. It is our new baseline. We must continue to raise the bar. We are equally committed to modernising our airports.”

“The rehabilitation and expansion of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal 1 in Lagos is a major intervention designed to transform a historic gateway into a more modern, efficient and passenger-centred international airport.”

“This is not merely about concrete, steel and glass. An airport is a country’s front door. When a visitor arrives, the airport is often the first physical expression of the nation that visitor encounters.

We therefore want our airports to communicate efficiency, dignity, hospitality and confidence.”

He said that an airport is not simply a place where aircraft land and take off. It is an economic ecosystem. It creates employment, supports tourism and logistics, attracts investment, facilitates trade and connects businesses to markets.

Nigeria is therefore encouraging greater private-sector participation in airport infrastructure and services, while maintaining the standards of safety, security, service and public interest that must guide the industry.

“We are also supporting the development of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul capacity, aircraft leasing, cargo infrastructure and other parts of the aviation value chain.”

“Our ambition is straightforward:

Nigeria should not merely consume aviation services. We must increasingly produce aviation value. And we believe Africa should do the same.”

“There is, significantly, one challenge we must confront collectively, and that is the challenge of connectivity.

It should not be easier to travel between an African city and a destination outside the continent than to travel between two African cities.”

According to him,Africa needs stronger intra-African connectivity, commercially viable airports, appropriate regulatory frameworks and closer cooperation among governments, airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders.

The Single African Air Transport Market offers an important framework for achieving this ambition.

The African Continental Free Trade Area is creating a larger economic space. Aviation must help make that economic integration real. When African airports connect Africa more effectively, Africa becomes smaller, and opportunity becomes larger,he added.

He held that the future of airports must ultimately be measured by the quality of the passenger experience.

Biometrics can make processing easier. Artificial intelligence can improve operational decisions. Automation can reduce queues. Data can help us anticipate demand. Digital platforms can improve communication. But technology is only meaningful when it makes a person’s journey safer, easier, faster and more dignified.

We must therefore build smart airports with human hearts.

“There is therefore a call for collective action. This is where ACI Africa has an indispensable role. No country has all the answers. No airport can solve every challenge alone. But together, we can share experience, benchmark performance, develop capacity, attract investment and advocate policies that strengthen African aviation.”

He commend the President of ACI Africa, Mr. Fabrice Grondin, the Secretary General, Mr. Ali Tounsi, the Board and Committees, and the entire ACI Africa family for their leadership and commitment.

“I particularly acknowledge Nigeria’s contribution through the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, who serves as Vice-President of ACI Africa. Her leadership is a source of pride to Nigeria and a reflection of the growing contribution of Nigerian aviation professionals to our continent.”

“To all our African airport leaders, my message is simple: *Africa has the market, the people, the geography, the tourism assets and the entrepreneurial energy. What we must do is build the infrastructure, policies, connectivity and institutional capacity to convert this enormous potential into sustainable value.”

“Let Abuja 2026 be remembered not simply for the speeches delivered or meetings held, but for the partnerships created, investments initiated, ideas implemented and commitments fulfilled.”

“Let discussions at this conference become policies. Let partnerships become projects. Let innovation become everyday practice. And let resilience become a design principle for every airport we build or transform.”