Keyamo Calls For Swift Action On Africa’s Air Traffic Gaps

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called for urgent action to address capacity gaps in Africa’s Air Traffic Management systems, stressing the need for strategic investment in human capital to strengthen airspace safety across the continent.

Speaking at the 36th International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations Africa and Middle East Regional Meeting in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Keyamo said that Africa’s growing air traffic demands a more skilled, motivated, and adequately supported workforce of air traffic controllers to ensure safe and efficient operations.

The legal luminary stated this via a statement by his Media aide, Tunde Moshiod, on Tuesday.

Delivering his keynote address on the theme “Securing the Skies: Strengthening ATM Capacity through Strategic Recruitment, Training, and Retention,” the minister warned that Africa’s air traffic complexity is rising faster than its human resource capacity.

He said, “Across our region, we face rising complexity in operations and higher expectations from the travelling public. To meet these challenges, we must invest not only in technology but, even more importantly, in people. It is the professionalism, alertness, and dedication of Air Traffic Controllers that keep millions of passengers safe every single day.”

Keyamo reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing aviation safety and human capacity development under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, is modernising the country’s Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management systems, expanding training programmes for controllers, and establishing initiatives to support mental wellbeing and mentorship among aviation personnel.

Keyamo also highlighted Nigeria’s growing partnerships with regional institutions, including BAGASOO, to accelerate Air Navigation Service Provider certification, strengthen safety oversight, and promote safety culture across the continent.

He said, “Aviation is a shared ecosystem. Its strength lies in collaboration among states, regulators, ANSPs, and professional bodies like IFATCA.