Keyamo Appointed Chair of West Africa’s Banjul Accord Group Council of Ministers

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has been appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) a key regional aviation body representing seven West African nations.

The announcement was made in a statement issued Thursday by Tunde Moshood, Keyamo’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications. According to the release, the appointment was formalized during the fourth meeting of the BAG Council of Ministers, which took place in Abuja.

The BAG Council comprises aviation and transport ministers from Nigeria, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, working together to advance civil aviation safety, policy alignment, and air connectivity across West Africa.

The high-level meeting was attended by top officials, including:

• Jose Luis Nogueira, Minister of Transport, Cabo Verde
• Ebrima Sillah, Minister of Transport, The Gambia
• Joseph Nikpe, Minister of Transport and Aviation, Ghana
• Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Guinea
• Sirleaf Ralph Tyler, Minister of Transport, Liberia
• Fanday Turay, Minister of Transport and Aviation, Sierra Leone

As Chairman, Keyamo is expected to lead strategic initiatives to harmonise aviation policies, improve air transport safety, and foster regional cooperation in line with international aviation standards, particularly those of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The Abuja session also featured in-depth discussions on pressing sectoral issues, including air transport safety, capacity building, infrastructure investment, and enhancing intra-regional air connectivity.

In a separate statement personally signed by Keyamo, the minister attributed his appointment to Nigeria’s renewed leadership and policy momentum in the aviation sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He also extended gratitude to his BAG counterparts and praised his immediate predecessor Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation  for his contributions to the council.

The Banjul Accord Group was created to deepen sub-regional cooperation and promote the development of a safe, efficient, and sustainable civil aviation framework within West Africa.

According to Moshood, Keyamo’s appointment is expected to herald “a new era of dynamism” in West African aviation policy and development.