The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Saturday said Nigeria has aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) policy aimed at transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable aviation fuels.
Keyamo disclosed this during a Renewed Hope Global Virtual Town Hall Conference themed ‘Elevating Nigeria’s Aviation Strategic Trajectory under the Renewed Hope Administration’, monitored by The New Daily Prime.
Keyamo said the move is part of the country’s broader strategy to adopt cleaner energy practices within its aviation sector by 2050. He added that the policy is designed to make Nigeria’s environment cleaner and ensure safer air travel globally.
“We are very serious and committed members of ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO has many programs, and we have embraced these programs as a nation. By 2050, we have a deadline to fully migrate from fossil fuels to sustainable aviation fuel,” Keyamo said.
“We have committed to this environmental policy to make our environment cleaner and our air safer worldwide. Many nations have started the process, but I don’t think they have made much progress, and African nations are still far behind. We have attended a couple of ICAO conferences, which emphasize that no nation should be left behind,” he added.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) emphasized that Nigeria is serious about meeting the 2050 deadline to fully transition from fossil fuels to sustainable aviation fuels, noting that African nations, including Nigeria, are currently lagging in this transition.
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The former Director of Strategic Communications for ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign stated that while some countries have made significant progress—ranging from 5 to 10 percent in the use of sustainable aviation fuel—Nigeria has yet to begin full implementation but remains an active participant in the global movement initiated by ICAO.
“And by that, I mean aeroplanes around the world that are polluting and using conventional A1 fuel. We are looking for a way to stop using those types of fuels and adopt cleaner energy,” he explained. Keyamo added that while Nigeria has not yet started implementation, the country is part of the global movement to protect the environment and ensure greener airports.
The former Minister of State for Labour and Employment also outlined plans by his ministry to reduce reliance on diesel for powering airports, highlighting solar energy as a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative.
He mentioned ongoing efforts to attract public-private partnerships (PPPs) to finance the solar power initiative at airports, with many investors already showing interest.
“If you saw an advert we placed recently, it was calling on the public to express interest in most of the PPP programs we want to implement. One of the major PPP programs we want to pursue is solar power for our airports. Many investors are already showing interest in investing their own money. Many people are coming up with their financing structures to power our airports with solar,” Keyamo noted.
The Delta-born politician reaffirmed that these environmental policies are not only futuristic but already in motion, aiming for more sustainable and cost-effective solutions in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
By Friday Omosola and Dr. Vincent Ajayi
