The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed strong support for XEJET, a Nigerian carrier, as a potential partner for establishing direct flights between Nigeria and Namibia.
Keyamo’s endorsement came during a meeting with the Namibian Ambassador to Nigeria, Humphrey Geiseb, who highlighted his country’s interest in enhancing air connectivity between the two nations.
Ambassador Geiseb revealed that Namibia is currently in discussions with Air Peace about reinstating direct flights, though he did not specify the progress of these talks.
Nevertheless, he emphasized Namibia’s strong desire to collaborate with Nigerian airlines and urged the Minister to explore additional opportunities for such partnerships. “We are eager to re-establish direct connectivity, and we see Nigerian carriers as crucial partners in this endeavor,” Geiseb remarked.
Recalling the historical role of Air Namibia in connecting Lagos to Accra, Geiseb noted that the airline had once been a vital bridge for travel between Namibia and Nigeria. Unfortunately, due to financial challenges, Air Namibia ceased operations after a government bailout.
He further explained the ongoing inconvenience for travelers between the two countries, who are forced to transit through Addis Ababa, as occasional flights via TAG Airlines are not frequent enough to meet the growing demand for seamless travel.
In his response, Minister Keyamo reiterated his commitment to strengthening aviation ties with Namibia and acknowledged the challenges involved in establishing direct flights.
He shared his experience regarding the successful launch of direct flights between Algeria, Lagos, and Cameroon, which followed a similar diplomatic proposal, despite the relatively short distance between Nigeria and Cameroon. Keyamo also pointed to XEJET, a rapidly growing Nigerian airline that currently operates Air Sierra Leone, as a promising partner for the Namibia connection.
Geiseb assured Keyamo that he would liaise with his counterpart in Namibia’s Ministry of Aviation to arrange a possible visit aimed at bolstering bilateral aviation cooperation.
Additionally, Keyamo brought up the issue of visa challenges between the two nations, recounting his own difficulties in obtaining a visa despite holding a diplomatic passport.
The Minister called on Ambassador Geiseb to work toward resolving these barriers to facilitate smoother travel, which would help unlock more opportunities for trade and investment between Nigeria and Namibia.
Both officials agreed to continue collaborating on these matters to further enhance diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.
