The Federal Government has launched an ambitious programme to make Nigeria Africa’s leading producer of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with the inauguration of a National High-Level Steering Committee to drive the country’s clean aviation agenda.
The initiative, unveiled on Monday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, also featured the presentation of the National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Feasibility Study and the launch of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-supported Sustainable Aviation Fuel Business Implementation Study.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), said the initiative marks a major step towards building a resilient, competitive and environmentally friendly aviation industry.
Represented by the Director of Air Transport Management, Ahmed Tijjani Abdullahi, Keyamo said Nigeria is well positioned to become Africa’s biggest producer and supplier of Sustainable Aviation Fuel because of its abundant agricultural resources, expanding refining capacity, technical expertise and strategic location.
He noted that the project would not only reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector but also attract investments, create jobs, boost energy security and unlock new opportunities across agriculture, petroleum and manufacturing.
“This event marks another significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards building a resilient, competitive and environmentally sustainable aviation sector,” he said.
The minister assured investors that the Federal Government would provide an enabling policy and regulatory environment, including investment-friendly incentives, to accelerate the growth of the country’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry.
According to him, the newly inaugurated Steering Committee will coordinate the implementation of Nigeria’s SAF programme and strengthen collaboration among key ministries and government agencies.
Its members include the Ministers of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Innovation, Science and Technology, Agriculture and Food Security, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change and the Managing Director of NNPC Energy Limited.
Keyamo also welcomed the commencement of the ICAO-backed Business Implementation Study, saying it would identify viable investment opportunities and help develop bankable projects capable of attracting local and foreign investors.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s environmental goals and the country’s determination to become Africa’s leading Sustainable Aviation Fuel production hub.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, described the inauguration of the Steering Committee as a turning point in Nigeria’s quest for sustainable aviation.
According to him, the country is moving from planning to implementation with a roadmap backed by scientific research and international partnerships.
Najomo said the National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Feasibility Study, developed under ICAO’s ACT-SAF Programme with funding from the European Union and technical support from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), confirmed that Nigeria has the feedstock and capacity to develop a commercially viable Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry.
He pledged that the NCAA, as the secretariat of the Steering Committee, would continue to coordinate stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
Representatives of ICAO, the European Union, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the National Council on Climate Change and NNPC New Energy Limited all pledged support for the initiative, stressing that strong collaboration between government and the private sector is essential to building a globally competitive Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry.
Stakeholders said the programme is expected to diversify Nigeria’s economy, strengthen energy security, create thousands of jobs, attract foreign investment and support global efforts to reduce aviation carbon emissions.
