The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, today received the Ambassador of Namibia to Nigeria, H.E. Humphrey D. Geiseb in his office in Abuja. The discussions revolved around the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Namibia and potential collaborations to enhance aviation connectivity between the two nations.
Ambassador Geiseb highlighted the historical importance of Air Namibia’s operations between the two countries, noting that the national carrier previously connected Lagos to Accra and played a key role in facilitating travel between Namibia and Nigeria. Unfortunately, Air Namibia faced financial difficulties and was eventually forced to cease operations following a government bailout. Geiseb emphasized that currently, it remains challenging to directly connect Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, with Nigeria, with travelers having to transit through Addis Ababa. While there are occasional flights via TAG Airlines, they are not frequent enough to meet the demand for seamless travel between the two nations.
The Ambassador expressed his country’s desire to partner with Nigerian airlines to restore direct connectivity, citing ongoing discussions with Air Peace. However, he encouraged Minister Keyamo to engage with domestic airlines to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
In response, the Minister expressed his support and shared a personal experience regarding the challenges of establishing direct flights in the region. He referenced the successful Algeria/Lagos/Cameroon flight route, which was initiated after the Algerian Ambassador proposed a direct connection, despite the close proximity between Nigeria and Cameroon. The Minister also mentioned that one of Nigeria’s fast-rising domestic carriers, Xejet, which currently operates Sierra Leone’s national carrier, Air Sierra Leone, could be a potential partner in this venture.
Ambassador Geiseb assured the Minister that he would engage his counterpart, Namibia’s Minister of Aviation, to arrange a possible visit to further strengthen the aviation cooperation between both countries.
Additionally, the Minister raised the issue of the visa challenges between Nigeria and Namibia, recalling his own recent difficulties obtaining a visa despite holding a diplomatic passport. He urged the Ambassador to work towards resolving these issues to facilitate smoother travel and to open doors for more trade and investment relations between the two countries. Both envoys agreed to collaborate on these matters to improve bilateral ties.
This visit marks a significant step in fostering closer aviation and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Namibia, with both parties committed to exploring new opportunities that will benefit both nations’ aviation sectors and promote greater economic cooperation.
