Nigeria and Canada have strengthened their aviation and economic ties with the signing of an expanded air transport agreement that paves the way for direct scheduled flights between both countries.
The agreement was signed in Abuja as part of efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation in aviation while promoting trade, tourism, investment and educational exchanges.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, was represented at the ceremony by the Director of Air Transport Management in the ministry, Mohammed Tijjani. He signed the agreement alongside Canada’s Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs, Shendra Melia, at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.
The agreement followed a technical review session during which officials from both countries examined the existing Bilateral Air Services framework before reaching an understanding documented in the Agreed Minutes.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, Tunde Moshood, the expanded agreement represents a significant development in the aviation relationship between Nigeria and Canada.
The new framework allows both countries to designate multiple airlines to operate scheduled services between their territories. It also provides for 14 weekly passenger flights and 10 weekly cargo flights for designated airlines from each country.
In addition, cargo operators will have access to Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights, allowing them to transport freight between two foreign countries where the service originates from or terminates in their home country.
The Federal Government said the agreement is expected to improve air connectivity, reduce travel time and logistics costs, enhance passenger convenience and strengthen commercial and cultural relations between Nigeria and Canada.
The development is also expected to support tourism, business travel, investment, education and family connections, particularly given the growing Nigerian community in Canada.
The ministry disclosed that, as of March 31, 2026, more than 25,000 Nigerians held valid Canadian study permits, making Nigeria one of Canada’s major sources of international students.
The Nigeria-Canada Air Transport Agreement was initially negotiated in 2014 as a code-share-only arrangement and formally signed in March 2025. The latest agreement represents the first major expansion of the bilateral air services framework since its initial negotiation more than a decade ago.
