Nigeria and Russia to Revise 59-Year Air Services Pact

Nigeria and Russia have reached an agreement to renegotiate their 59-year-old Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to modernize air transport relations, enhance connectivity, and create new investment opportunities. This decision was made during a high-level bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Russian officials at the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.

Both countries have set a six-month timeline to finalize negotiations and sign a new agreement in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in April 2027. The existing BASA, established in 1967, regulates air services between Nigeria and Russia.

Keyamo met with Dmitry Stanislavovich Zverev, the state secretary and deputy minister of transport of the Russian Federation, to discuss updating the agreement. To meet the April 2027 deadline, both nations have formed negotiating teams to begin work immediately.

The proposed agreement aims to expand aviation cooperation and improve air connectivity, reflecting developments in the global aviation industry.