Nigeria and Barbados Eye Direct Flights in Landmark Aviation Talks
Nigeria and Barbados are actively exploring the launch of direct flight services between the two nations. The development emerged following a high-level diplomatic meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley.
The talks, held in Barbados, are part of Minister Keyamo’s broader diplomatic mission aimed at strengthening air connectivity between Nigeria, South America, and the Caribbean.
Tunde Moshood, Keyamo’s special adviser on media and communications, described the meeting as a significant stride toward building “stronger bridges of cooperation” through aviation.
Keyamo also held a series of bilateral meetings with key members of Barbados’ Cabinet, with discussions centered on the urgent need to boost direct air routes and revitalise the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between both countries.
“This partnership aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” said Moshood. “It aims to position Nigeria as the premier aviation gateway into Africa from the Caribbean and South America.”
Both sides expressed a strong commitment to advancing the dialogue and translating strategic intentions into tangible results. In a show of goodwill, Keyamo extended an invitation to Barbados for a follow-up meeting in Abuja—an offer warmly received by Prime Minister Mottley.
The minister’s visit marks another milestone in Nigeria’s proactive aviation diplomacy and reinforces its ambition to become a strategic hub for intercontinental travel.
Just a day before the Barbados meeting, Nigeria also signed a landmark BASA with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, paving the way for direct flights between the two nations and further cementing its expanding aviation footprint across the Atlantic.
