Namibia seeks direct flights to Nigeria, to partner local airlines

The ministry of aviation and aerospace development says Namibia is seeking direct flights to Nigeria and is willing to partner with local airlines to make it possible.

In a statement on Wednesday, Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation, said the discussion came up during a meeting between Keyamo and Humphrey Geiseb, Namibia’s ambassador to Nigeria, in Abuja.

Moshood said the meeting focused on the bilateral air services agreement (BASA) between both countries and ways to enhance aviation connectivity.

“Ambassador Geiseb highlighted the historical importance of Air Namibia’s operations between the two countries, noting that the national carrier previously connected Lagos to Accra and played a key role in facilitating travel between Namibia and Nigeria,” Moshood said.

“Unfortunately, Air Namibia faced financial difficulties and was eventually forced to cease operations following a government bailout.

“Geiseb emphasized that currently, it remains challenging to directly connect Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, with Nigeria, with travelers having to transit through Addis Ababa.

“While there are occasional flights via TAG Airlines, they are not frequent enough to meet the demand for seamless travel between the two nations.

“The Ambassador expressed his country’s desire to partner with Nigerian airlines to restore direct connectivity, citing ongoing discussions with Air Peace.

“However, he encouraged Minister Keyamo to engage with domestic airlines to explore potential collaboration opportunities.”

According to Moshood, the minister expressed his support and shared a personal experience regarding the challenges of establishing direct flights in the region.

“He referenced the successful Algeria/Lagos/Cameroon flight route, which was initiated after the Algerian Ambassador proposed a direct connection, despite the close proximity between Nigeria and Cameroon,” he said.

“The Minister also mentioned that one of Nigeria’s fast-rising domestic carriers, Xejet, which currently operates Sierra Leone’s national carrier, Air Sierra Leone, could be a potential partner in this venture.

“Ambassador Geiseb assured the Minister that he would engage his counterpart, Namibia’s Minister of Aviation, to arrange a possible visit to further strengthen the aviation cooperation between both countries.”

KEYAMO WANTS EASY ACCESS TO VISA TO IMPROVE TRADE

Also, Moshood said Keyamo raised the issue of the visa challenges between Nigeria and Namibia, recalling his recent difficulties obtaining a visa despite holding a diplomatic passport.

“He urged the Ambassador to work towards resolving these issues to facilitate smoother travel and to open doors for more trade and investment relations between the two countries.”

Moshood added that the visit marked Nigeria and Namibia’s agreement to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new opportunities in aviation and economic cooperation.