The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening aviation cooperation with Canada aimed at establishing direct air connectivity between Nigeria and Canada.

The Minister gave the assurance while receiving the Chargé d’Affaires of the High Commission of Canada to Nigeria, David Sproule, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.

The special adviser on media and communications to the minister, Tunde Moshood, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, explained that the meeting focused primarily on the expansion of bilateral air services between both countries.

Speaking during the meeting, Ambassador Sproule disclosed that a high-level Canadian delegation was scheduled to visit Nigeria in the first week of August to continue bilateral diplomatic engagements on the proposed Air Services Agreement and related issues.

The Canadian envoy also raised the issue of incorporating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) into the broader framework of cooperation between both countries to facilitate the streamlined processing and removal of Nigerian nationals who are not legally entitled to remain in Canada.

According to him, the SOP will strengthen collaboration between both governments on immigration-related matters

He said the SOP would remove what Canada considered one of the remaining impediments to securing the necessary approvals for direct flight operations between the two countries.

Ambassador Sproule further expressed concerns that the introduction of direct flights could naturally lead to increased passenger traffic, thereby placing additional pressure on existing immigration enforcement and repatriation mechanisms if adequate procedures were not established beforehand.

Responding, the minister expressed excitement over the prospects of launching direct flights between Nigeria and Canada, noting that the demand from Nigerians has remained consistently high for several years.

The minister observed that available passenger traffic statistics clearly indicate that thousands of travellers heading to Canada every week were compelled to transit through Europe or the United States due to the absence of direct air links.

He emphasised that from an aviation perspective, the Federal Government was committed to opening new international routes that will improve connectivity, enhance passenger convenience, reduce travel time, strengthen economic and people-to-people relations between both nations.

While acknowledging Canada’s concerns regarding the proposed SOP, the minister explained that immigration and deportation matters fall outside the constitutional responsibilities of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

He noted that such issues would require inter-ministerial collaboration, particularly with the Ministry of Interior and other relevant government agencies.

“The aviation component is one aspect of the discussions, while the immigration-related issues require the involvement of other relevant ministries.

“We are prepared to facilitate those engagements because if reaching an understanding on the SOP is what is required to move the process forward, then we will ensure the appropriate government institutions are brought into the discussions,” he said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue negotiations during the scheduled bilateral meeting fixed for August 6, 2026, where officials from both countries were expected to address the outstanding issues and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.