Nigeria and Canada have signed an expanded Air Transport Agreement that will permit direct scheduled flights between the two countries for the first time.
The agreement, signed on Thursday at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja, is expected to strengthen trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people connections between Nigeria and Canada.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, was represented at the signing by the Director of Air Transport Management, Mohammed Tijjani.
The agreement forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to expand international aviation partnerships, improve air connectivity and attract more global airlines under its aviation reform agenda.
In recent months, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has intensified negotiations with several countries to review Bilateral Air Services Agreements, create additional opportunities for Nigerian airlines and expand access to international routes.
Direct air connectivity between Nigeria and Canada has been a longstanding demand among travellers, businesses and members of the Nigerian community in Canada, particularly amid growing links in trade, education and tourism.
According to a statement issued by Keyamo’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the agreement followed an extensive technical review of the existing bilateral aviation framework.
“In a landmark step towards strengthening bilateral aviation relations and expanding economic cooperation, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Government of Canada have signed an expanded Air Transport Agreement that will, for the first time, permit direct scheduled air services between both countries,” the statement said.
The expanded agreement allows both countries to designate multiple airlines to operate scheduled passenger and cargo services between Nigeria and Canada.
It provides capacity allowances of 14 weekly passenger flights and 10 weekly all-cargo flights for designated airlines from each country.
The agreement also grants fifth-freedom traffic rights for all-cargo operations.
Such rights allow a carrier to transport cargo between two foreign countries as part of a service that originates from or terminates in the airline’s home country.
The Federal Government said the agreement would significantly improve travel between Nigeria and Canada by reducing journey times, lowering logistics costs and increasing convenience for passengers and businesses.
“The agreement is expected to significantly enhance air connectivity between Nigeria and Canada by paving the way for the commencement of direct flights, thereby reducing travel time, improving passenger convenience, lowering logistics costs, and strengthening commercial and cultural ties between both nations,” the ministry said.
The government also highlighted the importance of the agreement to Nigerians living, working and studying in Canada.
More than 25,000 Nigerians held valid Canadian study permits as of March 31, 2026, making Nigeria one of Canada’s major sources of international students.
The ministry said improved air connectivity would support educational exchanges, tourism, business travel, investment opportunities and family reunification between the two countries.
The Nigeria-Canada Air Transport Agreement was initially negotiated in 2014 as a code-share-only arrangement before being formally signed in March 2025.
The latest agreement represents the first major expansion of the bilateral air services framework between Nigeria and Canada in more than a decade.
