The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, alongside the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Friday officially flagged off RwandaAir’s first dedicated cargo flight on the Nigeria–East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Route.

According to a statement from the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Tunde Moshood, the development marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest to deepen intra-African trade and economic integration.

The launch of the cargo service represents a breakthrough under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, creating new opportunities for Nigerian exporters to access markets across East and Southern Africa while strengthening regional supply chains and boosting continental commerce.

Speaking at the ceremony, Keyamo emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative in unlocking Africa’s trade potential through enhanced air connectivity.

“We’re here with some of our exporters; this is where aviation interlines with trade and investment. This is in pursuit of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promote trade and investment across Africa. I am excited to be here with my sister, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, to supervise and launch this effort in support and consonance with the principles and letters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). You cannot transform African trade without connecting Africa first,” the Minister stated.

Keyamo noted that the successful launch of the cargo route demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to positioning aviation as a critical enabler of economic growth, trade facilitation, industrial development, and regional integration.

He further stressed that the initiative aligns perfectly with the vision of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which seeks to liberalize air transport services across the continent and remove barriers that have historically hindered connectivity and commerce among African nations.

The Minister recently championed the implementation of SAATM during the African Air Transport Expo held in Lomé, Togo, where he called for stronger commitment by African states to open skies policies and seamless market access as essential tools for driving economic transformation across the continent.

The Nigeria–East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Route is expected to provide faster, more efficient, and reliable logistics solutions for exporters, particularly in the agricultural, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and non-oil export sectors, thereby contributing to increased trade volumes and economic prosperity across Africa.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by government officials, exporters, aviation stakeholders, trade representatives, and RwandaAir executives, all united in the shared vision of building a more connected and economically integrated Africa through aviation. (Channels)