Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has opened talks with Deutsche Bank to explore strategic financing opportunities in the country’s aviation sector. The high-level meeting, held in Abuja, featured Mr. Andreas Voss, Director General, Corporate Bank – Sub-Sahara Africa Trade Financial Institutions at Deutsche Bank, and marks a significant step in deepening international investment partnerships aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Mr. Voss, a seasoned executive with a track record in infrastructure financing across Africa, described Nigeria’s aviation market as “strategically positioned for growth” and expressed Deutsche Bank’s readiness to support the sector through export credit arrangements, green financing models, and other innovative mechanisms. With over four decades of presence in Nigeria, the bank reaffirmed its confidence in the country’s economic direction and aviation reforms under Keyamo’s leadership.
Keyamo welcomed the interest, highlighting Nigeria’s growing passenger traffic, strategic location, and its potential as an international aviation hub. “Nigeria has the traffic and is equidistant to most global regions. It’s time for investors to come in and partner with us to unlock this sector’s potential,” he said.
To drive the collaboration forward, the Minister immediately set up a technical working group to interface with Deutsche Bank’s team. The group will evaluate viable projects and develop a tailored financing framework that meets Nigeria’s infrastructure and investment needs.
Key focus areas discussed include the modernization and expansion of airport facilities, upgrades to aviation safety and navigation systems, development of green airport initiatives in line with climate goals, and the establishment of a National Aviation Training Academy to reduce reliance on foreign institutions and build local technical capacity.
Both parties agreed to intensify engagements in the coming weeks, with the goal of formalizing long-term partnerships. The initiative is seen as a major milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to attract credible foreign direct investment and scale up aviation infrastructure for global competitiveness.
