Nigeria is set to conduct a comprehensive review of its Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Algeria, as stated by Festus Keyamo, the Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development. This announcement was made during a courtesy visit to his office by the Algerian Ambassador, Hacine Lalti, on Tuesday.
The minister conveyed that the originally planned meetings of aeronautical engineers from both nations, initially scheduled for December, will now be tentatively moved up to November 7th, 2023. This rescheduling is aimed at expediting the BASA review process, responding to the demand for such action.
In his remarks, the Algerian Ambassador emphasized the need to amend the July 14th, 2022 agreement to incorporate a direct flight to Abuja. BASA agreements facilitate the sharing of civil aviation certifications between two countries.
Additionally, it was disclosed that the Algerian government has identified Nigeria and South Africa as countries with promising business opportunities that they are keen to collaborate with.
Meanwhile, Minister Keyamo pledged his commitment to witness the inaugural flight from Uganda to Nigeria. During a courtesy visit by the Uganda High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Nelson Ocheger, the minister noted the longstanding history of cooperation between Nigeria and Uganda. He emphasized that the direct flight marking the onset of this partnership between the two countries signifies a step towards realizing the benefits of open skies and enabling smoother free trade agreements among African nations.