Africa Needs Bold Aviation Reforms to Unlock Growth

Samuel Bajomo, Senior Special Adviser on Foreign Direct Investment and Capital Improvement Programmes to Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, speaking during the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme (IATP) forum in Nairobi on February 26,  2026

Africa’s aviation sector is struggling to reach its full potential, weighed down by ageing infrastructure, limited connectivity and policies that have yet to unlock the continent’s vast travel and trade demand.

Samuel Bajomo, Senior Special Adviser on Foreign Direct Investment and Capital Improvement Programmes to Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said aviation must be repositioned as a catalyst for economic growth rather than viewed as a luxury sector.

Speaking to Newslightkenya during the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme (IATP) in Nairobi, he stressed that connectivity is central to unlocking Africa’s trade, tourism and investment potential.

“For such a time like this, Africa has the traffic, Africa has the ability to grow its aviation sector, and also Africa has the ability to increase its interconnectivity to drive trade,” he said.

He noted that despite the continent’s vast market, aviation’s contribution to Africa’s GDP remains minimal, largely because governments have not fully tapped into its multiplier effects.

“Infrastructure is one of the challenges. Access to financing is one of the major ones too,” he said, adding that public-private partnerships will be critical in closing funding gaps while protecting national sovereignty.

Across Africa, airports and aviation facilities are ageing and in need of modernisation. In Nigeria, he pointed out, Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos was built more than four decades ago.

“Like every other infrastructure, at some point it will need upgrading,” he said. “We need to make our airports futuristic.”

However, he emphasised that aviation reform goes beyond terminals and runways. It requires political will to implement forward-looking policies that liberalise air travel and stimulate demand.

“There’s always this misnomer that aviation is the problem of the rich,” he said. “But connectivity is about economic opportunity.”

He argued that airports serve as gateways for foreign direct investment, enabling business travel, tourism and cross-border trade. Without efficient aviation systems, investment flows would slow significantly.

“Imagine there is no airport to come into Kenya. How can investors do their due diligence?” he posed.

Regional integration initiatives such as the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the Yamoussoukro Decision, frameworks designed to liberalise African airspace, must now move from policy discussions to full implementation, he added.

Connectivity, he said, must begin with easier movement of people.

Recent visa reforms between African countries, including Nigeria’s expansion of visa-free access, signal progress. “We need to liberalise our bases between ourselves,” he said.

Improved air links could also strengthen intra-African trade. Beyond passenger travel, aviation generates catalytic economic activity through jobs in airports, lounges, cargo services and non-aeronautical commercial ventures.

Looking ahead, Obafeni-Njomo called for the development of “aerotropolises” ,airport cities that integrate hotels, conference facilities, retail and business hubs within close proximity to terminals.

“In most advanced countries, people go into countries without going into the cities,” he explained. “Everything they need is within five miles of the airport.”

He pointed to hubs such as Addis Ababa as examples African countries could emulate to increase transit traffic and international competitiveness.

Yet he acknowledged that reform will require coordination across ministries, from aviation to foreign affairs, trade and finance to ensure policy coherence.

“Change is inevitable,” he said. “We need to start looking at forward-thinking policies that will enhance trade and investment.”

Ultimately, he argued, aviation growth is tied to broader economic development. Expanding the middle class and increasing disposable incomes will directly stimulate air travel demand.

“For the aviation sector to thrive, it’s a function of economic opportunity,” he said.

As African policymakers gather to chart the next phase of aviation transformation, the message from industry leaders is clear: modern airports alone will not lift the sector. What is required is coordinated reform, financing innovation and the political courage to open Africa’s skies not just in principle, but in practice.