The Director of Air Transport Management, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Tijjani, who represented the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, with the Canadian Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs, Ms. Shendra Melia, at the High Commission of Canada, other delegates in Abuja to formalise the historic agreement.

The Director of Air Transport Management, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Tijjani, who represented the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, with the Canadian Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs, Ms. Shendra Melia, at the High Commission of Canada, other delegates in Abuja to formalise the historic agreement. Photo: X | Festus Keyamo

Nigeria and Canada have signed an expanded Air Transport Agreement that will allow direct scheduled flights between both countries for the first time. The government said the move is aimed at boosting trade, tourism, investment, and educational exchanges.

This was contained in a statement signed by the minister’s media aide, Tunde Moshood, on Thursday. The agreement, signed at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja, marks a major expansion of the bilateral air services framework and is expected to improve connectivity while reducing travel time and logistics costs for passengers and cargo operators.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, represented by the Director of Air Transport Management, Mohammed Tijjani, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while Canada’s Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs, Shendra Melia, signed on behalf of her country.

The signing, Moshood said, followed a technical review of the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement, culminating in what the ministry described as “a significant milestone in the aviation relationship between Nigeria and Canada.”

According to the ministry, the expanded agreement introduces “important enhancements designed to improve connectivity, promote tourism, facilitate trade, and create new opportunities for airlines and businesses in both countries.”

Under the new arrangement, both countries can designate multiple airlines to operate scheduled services, with each side entitled to 14 weekly passenger flights and 10 weekly all-cargo flights.

The PUNCH gathered that the agreement also grants Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights for cargo operations, allowing designated airlines to transport freight between two foreign countries, provided the service originates or terminates in their home country.

The aviation ministry said the agreement would pave the way for direct flights between Nigeria and Canada, eliminating the need for many travellers to transit through third countries.

The statement reads partly, “The agreement is expected to significantly enhance air connectivity between Nigeria and Canada by paving the way for the commencement of direct flights, thereby reducing travel time, improving passenger convenience, lowering logistics costs, and strengthening commercial and cultural ties between both nations.”

The aviation ministry holds that, as of March 31, 2026, more than 25,000 Nigerians held valid Canadian study permits, making Nigeria one of Canada’s largest sources of international students.

The government believes the enhanced aviation framework will further support student mobility, tourism, business travel, investment, and family reunification.

The agreement represents the first major expansion of the Nigeria-Canada Air Transport Agreement since it was negotiated in 2014 as a code-share arrangement.