The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, has confirmed his attendance at the inaugural flight from Uganda to Nigeria. He provided this assurance during a courtesy visit by the Uganda High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Nelson Ocheger.
Expressing gratitude for the visit, Keyamo highlighted the long-standing fraternal relationship between Nigeria and Uganda. He emphasised that the forthcoming direct flight signifies the commencement of a partnership between the two nations, underscoring that free trade agreements among African countries can be facilitated through open skies.
Ocheger invited the minister to witness the inaugural flight to Nigeria, scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2023. He also apprised the minister of a business forum planned for Friday, October 21, 2023, where Ugandan business entrepreneurs will engage with their Nigerian counterparts to explore collaborative opportunities.
In a previous meeting with the Algerian Ambassador, Mr. Hacine Lalti, who paid a courtesy visit to his office, Keyamo assured him of a review of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Algeria and Nigeria. Responding to the ambassador’s request for a direct flight to Abuja, Keyamo pledged that the demand for such a service would be met. Additionally, the scheduled meetings of aeronautical engineers from both countries, originally set for December, will be tentatively moved up to November 7 to expedite the review of the BASA agreement.
Lalti expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and urged the minister to amend the agreement reached on July 14, 2022, to include a direct flight to Abuja. He revealed that the Algerian government has identified Nigeria and South Africa as countries with significant business opportunities and expressed a willingness to collaborate with them.
