The African Development Bank has appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, as the “African Champion” to spearhead its new $7 billion aviation investment drive across the continent.
This was disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, signed by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister.
The bank said the choice was informed by Nigeria’s “leadership and vision” in implementing key policy reforms to transform its aviation sector over the last two years.
Keyamo will lead the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa, IATP, a continent-wide platform created to modernise Africa’s aviation ecosystem and mobilise private, institutional and concessional capital.
The AfDB has earmarked $7 billion for the programme, which will be formally launched at the bank’s Annual Meeting in Brazzaville on Thursday, May 28.
A Letter of Intent between the AfDB and Nigeria is expected to be signed at the event.
“The Minister is now expected to bring his knowledge, commitment and passion to drive this programme in the whole of Africa,” the AfDB said in a statement issued Tuesday in Brazzaville.
The bank expressed “deep gratitude to the Minister for his commitment to advancing aviation in the whole of Africa.”
The IATP was developed to address chronic underinvestment and fragmentation in African air transport.
Despite housing nearly 18% of the world’s population, African airlines account for less than 3% of global air traffic, according to International Air Transport Association figures cited by the AfDB.
The programme will target airport infrastructure upgrades, navigation systems, safety oversight, aircraft financing, and airline consolidation support.
It also aims to unlock private sector funding by de-risking aviation projects through AfDB guarantees and blended finance.
As “African Champion,” Keyamo will serve as the political face of the IATP and coordinate with heads of state, finance ministers and aviation regulators across Africa.
His mandate includes building consensus for policy harmonisation, promoting open skies agreements, and helping member states prepare bankable aviation projects.
The role is not executive but advisory, working directly with the AfDB’s infrastructure and industrialisation teams.
“This is not about Nigeria alone. It is about lifting the entire continent’s aviation potential,” the statement quoted the bank as saying.
