The United States of America has announced the formalization of an Air Transport Agreement with Nigeria. This announcement, made on Friday, May 17, 2024 by the Public Diplomacy Department of the US Mission in Nigeria, reveals that the agreement has been provisionally applied since 2000.
The bilateral agreement aims to establish a modern civil aviation relationship between the two nations, aligning with the US Open Skies international aviation policy and committing to high standards of aviation safety and security.
“This agreement with Nigeria is a step forward in liberalizing the international civil aviation sector in Africa,” the US Mission stated. “It further expands our strong economic and commercial partnership, promotes people-to-people ties, and creates new opportunities for airlines, travel companies, and customers.”
Key provisions of the agreement include unrestricted capacity and frequency of services, open route rights, a liberal charter regime, and open code-sharing opportunities. These measures are expected to lead to more affordable, convenient, and efficient air services, thereby promoting tourism and commerce.
The announcement follows a recent meeting in Washington between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar. During the meeting, the two officials reiterated their commitment to a vibrant partnership and discussed implementing mutual economic, governance, and security priorities.
The US Mission noted, “On May 14, Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell met with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar in Washington. On the heels of their engagement during a successful US-Nigeria Bi-national Commission in Abuja last month, the Deputy Secretary and Foreign Minister made progress toward implementing mutual economic, governance, and security priorities.”
It was gathered that Campbell’s visit to Nigeria included co-chairing the sixth US-Nigeria Bi-national Commission with Tuggar, and discussions with senior government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives on various partnership areas, shared prosperity, democracy, governance, and accountability.
