Nigeria must move from consuming imported aviation technology and services to developing its own industrial capacity, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has said.
Keyamo made the call at the opening of House of Tenposs, a creative entrepreneurship hub in Lagos, where he delivered an address titled “Innovation and the Future of Nigeria’s Aviation and Aerospace Economy” as part of activities marking Nigeria’s Independence Day.
The minister, represented by his Special Adviser on Service Delivery, Janet Oputa, challenged Nigerian entrepreneurs to invest in emerging areas of the aviation and aerospace value chain, arguing that local production would conserve foreign exchange, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base.
“The future of Nigeria’s aviation and aerospace economy will be determined by whether we innovate or whether we import,” Keyamo said, according to The PUNCH report published on October 7, 2026.
One area he identified is sustainable aviation fuel, saying Nigeria has raw materials that could support domestic production. He specifically pointed to cassava residues as potential feedstock, alongside the country’s expanding refining capacity.
Keyamo said the opportunity was not simply about producing fuel locally but developing the industrial capacity to process Nigeria’s available resources rather than importing sustainable fuel from other countries.
He also urged entrepreneurs to explore indigenous drone manufacturing, with applications ranging from agriculture and logistics to infrastructure inspection, emergency response and defence.
Another priority is aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, known as MRO. Keyamo said Nigeria needed more investment in local maintenance facilities to reduce the foreign exchange outflow associated with sending aircraft abroad for major repairs.
He cited Air Peace’s MRO project in Lagos as an example of the kind of local capacity the country should develop. The airline broke ground on the facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on September 17, 2025, with the project backed by Fidelity Bank and the Bank of Industry and technical support from Brazil’s Embraer. The Federal Ministry of Aviation said the facility is expected to position Nigeria as a regional aircraft maintenance hub.
Keyamo’s latest call builds on his longstanding argument that inadequate local MRO capacity has forced Nigerian airlines to send aircraft abroad for maintenance, increasing costs and putting pressure on foreign exchange.
The minister also disclosed that Nigeria’s compliance score under the Cape Town Convention had risen from 49.5% to 75.5% following government reforms. He said the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of the Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company in April 2026 to acquire or lease aircraft for Nigerian operators.
For Keyamo, however, expanding access to aircraft must go alongside building the technology, skills and industrial capacity needed to support the sector locally.
The wider message is that Nigeria’s aviation opportunity extends beyond airlines and airports. For entrepreneurs, the minister is pointing to an emerging market in fuel production, drones, aircraft maintenance and other aviation technologies where local businesses can replace imports while building new sources of jobs and investment.
