An expanded Air Transport Agreement has been signed by Nigeria and Canada on Thursday in Abuja. This will, for the first time, allow direct scheduled flights between the two countries, clearing the way for airlines from both sides to operate passenger and cargo services..
At the High Commission of Canada in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, was represented by the Director of Air Transport Management, Mohammed Ahmed Tijjani, who signed on behalf of the Federal Government.
Canada’s Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs, Shendra Melia, signed for the Canadian government.
New flight rights agreed
The agreement came after a Nigeria Canada Air Transport Expansion Technical Review Worksession where both sides reviewed the existing Bilateral Air Services framework before signing the Agreed Minutes.
Under the new arrangement, both countries can designate multiple airlines to operate scheduled air services between Nigeria and Canada. The agreement also provides for up to 14 weekly passenger flights and 10 weekly all cargo flights for airlines designated by each country.
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It also grants Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights for all cargo operations. This allows cargo airlines to transport freight between two foreign countries, provided the service starts or ends in the airline’s home country.
The new agreement replaces the earlier framework, which only allowed code share services between airlines. It opens the way for direct scheduled flights between the two countries, with the governments saying this will reduce travel time, improve passenger convenience, lower logistics costs and strengthen commercial and cultural ties.
The Nigerian delegation included Mohammed Ahmed Tijjani, Director of Air Transport Management; Jummai Yahaya, Director of Legal Services at the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Olayinka Babaoye Iriobe, Director of Air Transport Regulation at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, along with other senior government representatives.
Canada’s delegation included Shendra Melia, Chief Air Negotiator for Global Affairs Canada; Jathorsan Lingarajan, Trade Policy Officer at Global Affairs Canada; Steven Worth, Manager and Senior Policy Adviser at Transport Canada; and other Canadian representatives.
Student and business travel
The agreement comes as travel between Nigeria and Canada continues to increase. As of 31 March 2026, more than 25,000 Nigerians held valid Canadian study permits, making Nigeria one of Canada’s major sources of international students.
The expanded aviation framework is expected to support educational exchanges, tourism, business travel, investment and family reunification between both countries.
It is also expected to improve trade by allowing more scheduled cargo operations under the agreed weekly allocation and the new cargo traffic rights.
The Nigeria Canada Air Transport Agreement was first negotiated in 2014 as a code share only arrangement. It was formally signed in March 2025.
The agreement signed in Abuja is the first major update to the bilateral air services arrangement since it was first negotiated more than 10 years ago.
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