Nigeria, Canada seal deal for direct flights, more trade
Canada flag
Abdullateef Fowewe
Nigeria and Canada have signed an expanded Air Transport Agreement that will, for the first time, allow direct scheduled flights between the two countries, a move officials say will cut travel time, lower logistics costs and deepen trade and cultural ties.
The pact was formalised on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the High Commission of Canada in Abuja, with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development represented by Mohammed Ahmed Tijjani, Director of Air Transport Management, and Canada by Ms Shendra Melia, Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs Canada.
The signing according to a statement obtained from Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications
to the Minister of Aviation capped an extensive technical review in which both sides updated the 2014 bilateral framework originally a code‑share‑only deal signed in March 2025 into a broader arrangement designed to support multiple airlines, higher frequencies, and cargo growth.
Under the expanded terms, each country can designate multiple airlines to operate scheduled services, with a capacity allowance of 14 weekly passenger flights and 10 weekly all‑cargo flights per side.
Crucially, the agreement grants Fifth Freedom traffic rights for all‑cargo operations, enabling cargo carriers to move freight between two foreign countries as long as the service begins or ends in the airline’s home country—a provision that could reshape regional freight routing and reduce shipping costs for exporters and importers.
The development comes as people‑to‑people links intensify: as of March 31, 2026, more than 25,000 Nigerians held valid Canadian study permits, making Nigeria one of Canada’s top source countries for international students.
Officials expect the new framework to accelerate educational exchanges, tourism, business travel and investment, while also easing family reunification by removing the need for lengthy connections on current routes.
In a press statement released after the ceremony, the Nigerian side described the pact as “a landmark step towards strengthening bilateral aviation relations and expanding economic cooperation,” adding that it would “significantly enhance air connectivity by paving the way for the commencement of direct flights.”
The statement noted that the agreement is intended to “reduce travel time, improve passenger convenience, lower logistics costs, and strengthen commercial and cultural ties between both nations.”
The Canadian delegation included Jathorsan Lingarajan, Trade Policy Officer at Global Affairs Canada, and Steven Worth, Manager and Senior Policy Advisor at Transport Canada, among other officials; Nigeria’s team also featured Jummai Yahaya, Director of Legal Services at the aviation ministry, and Olayinka Babaoye‑Iriobe, Director of Air Transport Regulation at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
With the legal framework now in place, the next phase will involve airline route applications, regulatory approvals and slot allocations—steps that will determine how quickly carriers launch non‑stop services and how the new cargo rights are deployed across West and North America.
