Nigeria has launched a major push to strengthen aircraft financing structures and deepen implementation of the Cape Town Convention, as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and the Aviation Working Group (AWG) convened a high-level dialogue in Abuja.
The two-day conference, themed “Maximizing the Benefits of the Cape Town Convention – Africa Event 2025,” began on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, drawing top regulators, global financiers, aircraft lessors, legal experts, and policymakers from across Africa.
Representing the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, the Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards (DOLTS), Capt. Donald Spiff, said Nigeria’s reform momentum is reshaping confidence in the country’s aviation sector. According to him, the significant progress recorded under the Cape Town Convention is not accidental but a product of consistency, transparency, and institutional cooperation.
Capt. Najomo highlighted Nigeria’s dramatic rise in the global Cape Town Convention Compliance Index, where the country jumped from 49% to 75.5% in just one year. He attributed the leap to the introduction of the Federal High Court Practice Direction in 2024, which accelerated judicial processes relating to aircraft repossession and aviation finance enforcement.
“The Cape Town Convention is a pathway to progress, not merely a legal framework,” he said. “Our progress demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to building an investment-friendly aviation environment anchored on the rule of law.”
The event brought together critical voices across the aviation value chain, all emphasizing that the future of African aviation hinges on a unified approach to treaty enforcement, transparent financing models, and consistent regulatory alignment.
Among those present was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, who underscored the Federal Government’s readiness to strengthen collaboration among regulators, operators, financiers, and the judiciary to deepen compliance and reduce the cost of capital for African airlines.
Dr. Kana noted that enhanced treaty implementation will not only improve aircraft financing terms for Nigerian and African carriers but also accelerate fleet modernization and improve the continent’s global competitiveness in air transport.
The Abuja dialogue marks a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing aviation reform agenda. It also positions the nation as a regional leader in advocating for world-class aircraft financing frameworks and efficient legal processes essential for sustainable airline operations.
With global stakeholders expressing optimism, the discussions are expected to shape policy actions that will define Africa’s aviation investment climate in the coming years.
Nigeria boosts aviation reforms as NCAA, the Aviation Ministry, and AWG host a high-level dialogue in Abuja to strengthen aircraft financing frameworks and improve Cape Town Convention compliance across Africa.
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