AfDB appoints Keyamo as continentwide ‘champion’ for $7bn aviation transformation
Festus Keyamo
Abdullateef Fowewe
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, as the continent’s African Champion to lead a new $7 billion initiative aimed at modernising Africa’s aviation sector.
This was made known in a statement on Wednesday by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser On Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation.
“Due to what it describes as Nigeria’s ‘leadership and vision’ in respect of various policy reforms to transform Nigeria’s Aviation sector, the African Development Bank has appointed Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, as the African Champion to drive its program that has been developed to invest substantially in aviation in Africa,” Moshood.
The appointment follows an invitation from the AfDB for Minister Keyamo to attend its Annual Meeting in Brazzaville on 28 May 2026, where the formal signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) between the Bank and Nigeria is scheduled to take place.
The program, named the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa (IATP), is described by the bank as a continent-wide platform designed “to modernize Africa’s aviation ecosystem and mobilize private, institutional, and concessional capital.”
The IATP aims to revitalise an industry in which African carriers currently account for less than 3 percent of global air traffic despite the continent housing nearly 18 percent of the world’s population.
“The Aviation Minister is now expected to bring his knowledge, commitment and passion to drive this program in the whole of Africa,” the statement said, adding that the bank “expressed its deep gratitude to the Minister for his commitment to advancing Aviation in the whole of Africa.”
It was gathered that the AfDB has earmarked $7 billion for the initiative, which will focus on infrastructure, regulatory reforms, airline support, and unlocking blended finance to attract private investment across African aviation value chains.
