Nigeria has intensified efforts to decarbonise its aviation sector with the inauguration of a National High-Level Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Steering Committee, as the Federal Government unveiled a roadmap aimed at positioning the country as Africa’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel.
The event which held in Abuja on Monday also featured the presentation of the National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Feasibility Study and the launch of an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-supported Sustainable Aviation Fuel Business Implementation Study.
Organised by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in partnership with ICAO, the European Union (EU) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the programme brought together government officials, development partners, aviation experts and industry stakeholders to chart a path towards cleaner aviation.
Inaugurating the steering committee, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive to build “a resilient, competitive and environmentally sustainable aviation sector.”
Represented by the Director of Air Transport Management in the ministry, Ahmed Abdullahi, Keyamo said aviation remained critical to economic growth, trade, tourism and regional integration but must also contribute to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
According to him, Sustainable Aviation Fuel offers Nigeria an opportunity not only to reduce carbon emissions but also stimulate investment, create jobs, strengthen energy security and unlock value across the country’s agricultural, industrial and energy sectors.
“Nigeria possesses abundant feedstock resources, including its position as one of the world’s largest cassava producers, significant agricultural residues, expanding refining capacity and growing technical expertise. These advantages position the country to become a major producer and supplier of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Africa,” he said.
The minister assured investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to providing supportive policies, an enabling regulatory framework and incentives needed to grow the emerging SAF industry.
He explained that the newly inaugurated steering committee would provide strategic direction, coordinate relevant government agencies and oversee implementation of the national Sustainable Aviation Fuel programme.
Keyamo also welcomed the commencement of the ICAO-supported Business Implementation Study, describing it as a critical phase that would identify commercially viable investment opportunities and facilitate the development of bankable SAF projects capable of attracting both local and foreign investors.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving ICAO’s environmental targets and realising its ambition of becoming Africa’s leading Sustainable Aviation Fuel production hub.
In his welcome address, Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, described the occasion as a defining moment for Nigeria’s aviation industry.
He said the country was moving from planning to implementation, adding that the feasibility study developed under ICAO’s Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) Programme provides an evidence-based foundation for transforming Nigeria’s vast feedstock resources into commercially viable aviation fuel production.
“Today’s event marks our transition from planning to implementation. The feasibility study provides the foundation for converting Nigeria’s abundant feedstock resources into a thriving Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry,” Najomo said.
He reaffirmed the NCAA’s commitment to coordinating stakeholders and ensuring the successful implementation of the programme as the secretariat of the National High-Level Sustainable Aviation Fuel Steering Committee.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of ICAO, the European Union, the Federal Ministries of Innovation, Science and Technology, Agriculture and Food Security, Petroleum Resources, the National Council on Climate Change and NNPC New Energy Limited.
The speakers unanimously stressed that strong collaboration among government, development partners and the private sector would be essential to developing a viable Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry capable of driving economic diversification, enhancing energy security, creating jobs and supporting global climate objectives.
The meeting ended with renewed commitments by the Federal Government and its international partners to accelerate implementation of Nigeria’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel programme and position the country as a regional leader in green aviation.
