Nigeria and Russia have agreed to renegotiate their 59-year-old Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) in a move aimed at modernising aviation relations and creating opportunities for improved air connectivity between the two countries.
The decision was reached during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Russian officials on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
Keyamo disclosed that both countries had agreed to complete negotiations within six months and sign a new air services agreement in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in April 2027.
The existing agreement, which dates back to 1967, provides the legal framework for air transport operations between the two countries. It covers arrangements such as airline designation, flight routes and traffic rights.
To meet the agreed deadline, Nigeria and Russia have constituted separate negotiating teams to begin work on the proposed replacement immediately.
The new agreement is expected to reflect developments in the international aviation industry, strengthen cooperation between both countries’ aviation sectors and provide opportunities for expanded air services.
However, details of proposed flight routes, designated airlines and the frequency of possible operations have not yet been disclosed.
Beyond the aviation agreement, both delegations also discussed other areas of potential cooperation in aviation and related sectors, expressing their willingness to explore further opportunities in the coming months.
The Nigerian delegation included the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Chris Najomo, and the Registrar of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Dr Danjuma Adamu Ismaila, alongside other officials from the aviation ministry and the regulatory authority.
