The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN and the Ambassador of Namibia to Nigeria, H.E. Humphrey D. Geiseb, have pledged to work around the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Namibia and potential collaborations to enhance aviation connectivity between the two nations.
Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood, who made this known in a release said this was the outcome of the meeting between the Minister and Ambassador Geiseb held in Abuja.
Ambassador Geiseb, highlighted the historical importance of Air Namibia’s operations between the two countries, noting that the national carrier previously connected Lagos to Accra and played a key role in facilitating travel between Namibia and Nigeria.
Unfortunately, Air Namibia faced financial difficulties and was eventually forced to cease operations following a government bailout.
Geiseb emphasized that currently, it remains challenging to directly connect Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, with Nigeria, with travelers having to transit through Addis Ababa while there are occasional flights via TAG Airlines, they are not frequent enough to meet the demand for seamless travel between the two nations.
The Ambassador expressed his country’s desire to partner with Nigerian airlines to restore direct connectivity, citing ongoing discussions with Air Peace and encouraged Keyamo to engage with domestic airlines to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
In response, the Minister expressed his support and shared a personal experience regarding the challenges of establishing direct flights in the region.
He referenced the successful Algeria/Lagos/Cameroon flight route, which was initiated after the Algerian Ambassador proposed a direct connection, despite the close proximity between Nigeria and Cameroon.
Keyamo also mentioned that one of Nigeria’s fast-rising domestic carriers, Xejet, which currently operates Sierra Leone’s national carrier, Air Sierra Leone, could be a potential partner in the venture.
He also raised the issue of the visa challenges between Nigeria and Namibia, recalling his own recent difficulties obtaining a visa despite holding a diplomatic passport.
The minister urged the Ambassador to work towards resolving the issues to facilitate smoother travel and to open doors for more trade and investment relations between the two countries.
Ambassador Geiseb, assured the Minister that he would engage his counterpart, Namibia’s Minister of Aviation, to arrange a possible visit to further strengthen the aviation cooperation between both countries.
This visit marks a significant step in fostering closer aviation and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Namibia, with both parties committed to exploring new opportunities that will benefit both nations’ aviation sectors and promote greater economic cooperation.
