Nigeria and Russia have begun renegotiating a 1967 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to modernize the pact and expand air connectivity between the two countries, setting a six-month deadline to conclude talks and sign a replacement in St. Petersburg in April 2027.
The move, both countries agreed, aims to update an aviation framework that predates modern international air-travel practices.
In a statement, Special Adviser on Media and Communications Tunde Moshood said Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo led discussions with Russian State Secretary and Deputy Transport Minister Dmitry Stanislavovich Zverev on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
The statement said the proposed agreement aims to modernize bilateral air-transport ties, boost connectivity, foster closer institutional cooperation and drive mutual growth across both countries’ aviation sectors.
Both governments said the revised agreement would create a more contemporary framework for air transport, connectivity and institutional cooperation.
The existing BASA, signed in 1967, governs air-traffic rights and operational arrangements between Nigerian and Russian carriers.
It said a modernized agreement could expand market access for airlines, support new routes and deepen regulatory cooperation between Nigeria’s civil-aviation authorities and Russia’s transport ministry.
The two countries have formed negotiating teams to begin work immediately, with a target of completing talks within six months, the statement said.
In addition to reviewing the current air-services agreement, the meeting highlighted broader opportunities for cooperation, the statement said.
Both nations agreed to evaluate those prospects in the coming months to strengthen bilateral ties and advance shared interests in aviation and allied industries.
Accompanying the Minister in the high-level bilateral meeting were key industry leaders, including Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General Captain Chris Najomo and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Registrar Dr. Danjuma Adamu Ismaila, along with senior directors from the ministry and the NCAA.
The summit, held October 28-29 in Moscow, brought together delegations from about 48 African countries and focused on trade, investment, infrastructure, energy, technology and security cooperation.
