Nigeria’s aviation industry is drawing renewed international attention, with China positioning itself as a long-term partner in the sector’s transformation.
During a high-level visit to Abuja, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, described Nigeria as a “critical hub” in Africa and pledged that Beijing would be a “reliable partner” in its aviation growth. He was accompanied by senior executives from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the state-owned manufacturer seeking to strengthen its footprint across the continent.
“Nigeria has the market, and I see the potential. The economy is going to bounce back soon, and China is ready to be a reliable partner in this growth trajectory,” Ambassador Yu stated.
Strategic talks on leasing and technical support
In a separate meeting, COMAC Vice President Yang Yang outlined proposals around aircraft leasing, technical collaboration, and long-term partnerships with Nigerian airlines. The discussions align with COMAC’s global push to expand beyond Asia and Europe, with Nigeria emerging as a possible entry point into Africa.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, welcomed the overtures, noting that he had previously toured COMAC’s headquarters in China. He confirmed that a delegation of Nigerian airline executives would soon travel to China to deepen talks.
“We are ready for this collaboration,” Keyamo affirmed. “Nigeria is open to allowing COMAC to use our country as a base to access the wider African market.”
A turning point for Nigeria’s aviation ambitions
The talks come at a pivotal time for Nigeria’s aviation industry, which is seeking to reduce capital flight, modernize fleet management, and position itself as a regional hub for aircraft maintenance and services. Keyamo emphasized that collaborations of this nature would not only cut costs for domestic airlines but also generate jobs and build local capacity.
This week, the minister also presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for Air Peace’s new maintenance hangar at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport. He revealed that the airline would soon take delivery of its first dry lease aircraft — a move enabled by Nigeria’s removal from the global blacklist following its adoption of the Cape Town Convention.
With China’s COMAC now in active talks, Nigeria appears poised to open a new chapter in its aviation journey, one that could integrate local carriers into the global aviation value chain while positioning Lagos and Abuja as continental gateways for modern aircraft services.
