The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, is set to host the inaugural Nigerian Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit (NAAIS) on the 1st and 2nd of April, 2026 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The summit will bring together international aircraft lessors, global aviation financiers, airline operators, airport concessionaires, policymakers, and institutional investors to explore Nigeria’s rapidly expanding aviation market and unlock new pathways for aircraft acquisition and infrastructure investment.
According to a statement by the ministry, Nigeria presents a compelling aviation investment opportunity – a population exceeding 220 million people, and air transport serving as an essential mode of mobility. The country equally offers a balanced return profile across airline operations and long-term airport infrastructure concessions. Africa is projected to be the fastest-growing aviation region globally, with passenger traffic expected to grow at approximately 6% annually through 2044. Within this trajectory, Nigeria stands as a natural anchor market for long-term aviation and airport infrastructure expansion.
Despite its demographic and economic scale, the country remains structurally underserved in aviation capacity, with a current annual air passenger traffic of 15-16 million people, projected to grow to 25.7 million by 2029. Nigeria operates approximately 1.16 million monthly scheduled airline seats, highlighting a significant capacity shortfall. The upcoming summit will provide a strategic platform for structured dialogue between Nigerian operators and global aircraft lessors, financing solutions tailored to local airline realities, investment frameworks for airport concession programmes, risk mitigation discussions to enhance investor confidence, and strengthening Nigeria’s aircraft leasing ecosystem.
“The summit reflects a deliberate policy shift towards structured engagement with international capital markets and aircraft leasing institutions, ensuring Nigerian carriers have improved access to competitive aircraft financing while positioning the country as a secure and bankable aviation investment destination,” the statement reads.
NAAIS reflects efforts directed at reshaping Nigeria’s aviation financing landscape, aiming to close the country’s aircraft capacity gap and unlock the next phase of aviation-led economic growth.
