As the plenary meeting of the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) kicked off on Monday in Abuja, stakeholders have again emphasized the need for urgent implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to reduce the high cost of air travels and increase connectivity across African countries.

The 18th BAG Plenary Meeting had in attendance the DGCAs of the BAG African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, Cape Verde, and Gambia.

Declaring open the 3-day plenary meeting, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, highlighted that implementation of SAATM would, among others, increase air connectivity, make trips shorter, with optimal user satisfaction at minimum prices.

He said that SAATM represents the vision of achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and unlocking the immense potential of seamless air connectivity across our continent, adding that air connectivity is an asset to improve the global competitiveness of cities, states, and regions; thus, Africa cannot be left behind.

The Minister said, “It is believed that SAATM will enhance intra-African connections and make the movement of passengers and cargo smooth with minimum transit points at competitive prices. Achieving these requires our collective resolve not only to implement SAATM, but also to make conscious efforts to address the issues of non-physical barriers, including the high cost of travel within the region.”

He called on all “member states to move beyond commitments and take coordinated, deliberate steps toward making SAATM a living reality. Our skies must no longer be defined by closed borders, but by open opportunities.”
He acknowledged that the Banjul Accord Group is critical to SAATM implementation, even as he reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the BAG and to the ideals of cooperation, safety, and integration.

Also speaking, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Council (AFCAC), Adefunke Adeyemi, called on the BAG countries to urgently domesticate the SAATM provisions into their national policies and laws, to reform and align fully with the SAATM revised principles, to strengthen regulatory institutions.
She called on the regional body to be known as the engine of SAATM implementation in West Africa and bring progress for aviation across the globe.

She said, “Let us prove that when we open our skies to each other, we open our economies, we open our borders, and we open our paths. A connected path is a competitive path, and a competitive path is a prosperous Africa. Let us continue to work, let action replace intention, let policy lead implementation.”

In his welcome address, Nigeria’s Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, said the Plenary Session is an opportunity to renew member countries’ focus on the challenges ahead, including infrastructure gaps, personnel shortages, emerging safety risks, and the imperative for digital transformation in aviation.

He noted that BAG continues to serve as a beacon of sub-regional cooperation, and it is inspiring to witness the progress made together in ensuring a safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible air transport sector in line with the “No Country Left Behind” initiative by ICAO.

The Head of the BAG Secretariat, Fansu Bojang, who is also the Director General of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said more needs to be done to unlock the potentials of the subregion.

As a group, we have furthered the dreams of the founding fathers of BAG and, through the process, pulled the industry out of the abyss we once found ourselves in and placed it on the pedestal. He said the Group must work to surmount the identified challenges.

Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation, Sen. Buhari Abdulfatai, represented by Sen. Augustine Akobundu, said the National Assembly is committed to the ideas of BAG and supports a harmonised West African aviation community.

“Nigeria recognises the importance of regional cooperation in advancing aviation safety, security, and development. We acknowledge the role of BAG in promoting capacity building, shared standards, and technical assistance among member states,” he said.

He, however, called for policy harmonisation, adding that the NASS is committed to an enhanced regulatory framework for safety and security, improved safety oversight, strategic interests in aviation infrastructure, regional cooperation, and harmonisation of policies.