In a move to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Uganda and Nigeria, the two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence direct flights between Entebbe and Lagos, as well as Abuja. This comes after the successful discussions between the Ugandan Foreign Affairs Minister, Gen Jeje Odongo and Nigeria's Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in Kampala.
The agreement, which is part of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries, provides for reciprocal international commercial air transport services. The BASA, initially signed in 2002 and reviewed in 2005, has been revised to facilitate direct air connectivity between the two nations.
In a statement, Minister Sirika highlighted the exceptional leadership of Presidents Museveni of Uganda and Buhari of Nigeria and their commitment to achieving socio-economic transformation and human capital development in Africa. He emphasised the Nigerian government's commitment to bolster bilateral relations in key sector areas, including aviation, for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Gen Odongo expressed appreciation for Nigeria's efforts to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the transport sector and underscored the importance of air connectivity in enhancing bilateral trade between the two nations. He affirmed that the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs would provide the necessary political leadership to facilitate the implementation of the agreements reached during the meeting.
The meeting also noted the need for technical cooperation and collaboration between the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the East African Civil Aviation Academy (EACAA), with the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority soliciting technical support from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Minister Sirika observed that air transportation remains the major means of connecting the people of Africa and enhancing trade and urged African nations to leverage the opportunity of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) to attain the 2065 Africa Agenda. The signing of this MoU marks a significant step towards realising the goal of air connectivity between the two countries.