Aviation officials say a new bilateral framework could update air transport cooperation and improve connectivity, but negotiations still need to be completed.
By A1NEWS International
MOSCOW, Russia — Friday
Nigeria and Russia have agreed to begin renegotiating their 1967 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), with both sides targeting the signing of a revised accord in Saint Petersburg in April 2027, according to Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
The agreement was reached at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, led the Nigerian delegation in discussions with Dmitry Stanislavovich Zverev, Russia’s State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport.
The proposed talks are intended to update the framework governing air services between the two countries. No details were provided on proposed flight routes, airline designations, traffic rights or commercial arrangements.
Negotiating teams to begin work
The ministry said the two countries have established negotiating teams to begin work immediately. It said the teams would aim to complete negotiations within six months and sign the new agreement in Saint Petersburg in April 2027.
The ministry described the proposed agreement as a way to update bilateral air transport relations and create opportunities for greater connectivity, institutional cooperation and engagement between the aviation sectors of both countries.
The timeline and final terms will depend on the negotiations. The ministry’s statement did not specify what provisions of the 1967 agreement are expected to change or whether the revised agreement would introduce new direct services.
Officials from Nigerian aviation agencies attend
The Nigerian delegation included Capt. Chris Najomo, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and Dr. Danjuma Adamu Ismaila, Registrar of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. Directors from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the NCAA also attended.
The ministry said the meeting covered other possible areas of aviation cooperation, though it did not identify specific projects or commitments. Both sides, it said, agreed to continue examining areas of shared interest in the coming months.
What a revised agreement could establish
Bilateral Air Services Agreements generally set the terms under which airlines from two countries may operate international services between them. A revised Nigeria-Russia agreement could provide an updated basis for cooperation, but the ministry has not released a draft or outlined the specific rights under discussion.
For now, the announcement marks the start of a negotiation process rather than a completed aviation pact. The eventual impact on connectivity will depend on the agreement’s final provisions and how airlines choose to use any rights granted.
Nigeria and Russia have set a timetable to renegotiate an air services agreement that dates back to 1967, with a proposed signing in Saint Petersburg in April 2027. The initiative signals interest in closer aviation cooperation, but the practical benefits for passengers and airlines remain uncertain until the negotiations produce a detailed agreement.
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