Nigeria, India Move to Deepen Aviation Partnership on Training, Capacity Building

The Federal Government is working to deepen aviation cooperation between Nigeria and India, with training, capacity building and knowledge transfer identified as key areas of collaboration.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, received the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhishek Singh, during a courtesy visit to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

Singh said Nigeria’s airports were performing well and that his visits to the country had strengthened his belief that both nations could benefit from closer cooperation in aviation.

The envoy identified at least six or seven areas with potential for collaboration and expressed interest in having Keyamo visit India. He also said India’s Minister of Civil Aviation was interested in visiting Nigeria.

On capacity building, Singh said India was prepared to expand its existing programme in Nigeria, through which more than 250 Nigerians benefit annually.

Keyamo welcomed the proposals, saying India’s experience in aviation, particularly in developing human capacity, could provide useful lessons as Nigeria implements the aviation and aerospace component of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister said his ministry was committed to strengthening bilateral ties in ways that would improve aviation infrastructure while creating opportunities for Nigerian professionals to gain the skills and international exposure needed to advance the sector.

He identified training, capacity building and knowledge transfer as priority areas, adding that any partnership should help Nigerian engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers and other aviation professionals develop specialised expertise.

Keyamo has consequently directed the establishment of a technical team to work out the details of the proposed Nigeria-India aviation partnership.