WHEN Festus Keyamo assumed office as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development a few years ago, he inherited an industry confronting familiar challenges: ageing infrastructure, high operating costs, inadequate access to aircraft financing, limited international connectivity and an imbalance in the implementation of Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs).

Like many of his predecessors, he unveiled a five-point agenda centred on strict regulatory compliance, infrastructure development, support for indigenous airlines, revenue optimisation and the enhancement of safety and security.

However, beyond these policy pillars, Keyamo has introduced another dimension that has become increasingly visible: aviation diplomacy.

Although diplomacy is not expressly listed among his policy objectives, it has emerged as one of the administration’s most effective tools for advancing Nigeria’s aviation interests.

Rather than limiting engagement to domestic reforms, the minister has taken Nigeria’s aviation agenda directly to governments, aircraft manufacturers, financiers and international industry stakeholders.

Some observers may wonder where BASA negotiations and diplomatic outreach fit within the minister’s five-point agenda. They arguably cut across revenue optimisation and support for local airlines. Yet, diplomacy deserves recognition as a strategic pillar on its own because BASAs have little practical value if they exist only on paper without reciprocal benefits for Nigerian operators.

For decades, Nigeria signed numerous BASAs with countries across the world, but many remained underutilised. In several cases, foreign airlines benefited far more from the agreements than Nigerian carriers, largely because indigenous airlines lacked the capacity, financing or market access to take advantage of the opportunities created.

Recognising this imbalance, Keyamo has been involved in a series of diplomatic engagements since the beginning of his tenure.

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Last year, the minister held talks in the United States during a visit to HOG Technologies on runway maintenance equipment; travelled to Ireland, where he attended the Aviation Economics Conference in Dublin, and signed the amended Nigeria-UAE Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) in the United Arab Emirates.

His other bilateral engagements during the year took him to Ethiopia, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, and Egypt, where he had bilateral talks.

In 2026 alone, the minister had key agreements involving the UAE and Belgium. He also engaged Saudi Arabian authorities on the review of the Nigeria–Saudi Arabia BASA and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Development Bank in Congo-Brazzaville.

Beyond government-to-government engagements, he has also held strategic meetings with global aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.

Nevertheless, diplomacy should not become an end in itself. Meetings, communiqués and Memoranda of Understanding are valuable only when they translate into measurable outcomes.

The success of Keyamo’s diplomatic strategy will, ultimately, be judged by whether Nigerian airlines gain greater access to international routes: whether BASAs become genuinely reciprocal, whether aircraft become easier to finance; whether airports attract new investments, and whether passengers enjoy improved connectivity and competitive services.

Equally important is ensuring that indigenous airlines remain at the centre of these international engagements. Every BASA negotiation, investment discussion and technical partnership should, ultimately, strengthen the capacity of Nigerian carriers to compete regionally and globally.

The minister, therefore, still has considerable work ahead, beyond undertaking official visits and signing bilateral agreements. The true measure of success will not be the number of BASAs concluded or diplomatic engagements undertaken, but the extent to which these agreements deliver tangible benefits to Nigerian airlines and the national economy.

Ultimately, what matters is whether the dozens of BASAs translate into expanded market access, reciprocal opportunities, increased passenger traffic, and sustainable growth for Nigeria’s aviation industry.

However, if this momentum is sustained and backed by consistent implementation, Keyamo’s diplomatic outreach could become one of the defining legacies of his tenure, transforming BASAs from dormant agreements into strategic instruments for national economic growth and aviation development.