Nigeria has fully endorsed the move by some members of the African Union to implement the Single Air African Transport Market Initiative which aims at improving internal air transport for African continent.
The Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musanu disclosed that, this will facilitate the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
He said, “we all fully support it and we’ve seen political commitments from several states including Ghana, including Nigeria who have signed the Memorandum of Implementation”
Captain Musanu reiterated, the best transport to connect Africa is by air.
“if you look at the size of Africa, for now, the best transport is by air because the amount of money, the quantum of money and the resources to build road and rail transport connecting the whole Africa will be very difficult”.
The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, an initiative of the African Union to create a single unified air transport market in Africa, the liberalization of civil aviation in Africa, and as an impetus to the Continent’s economic integration agenda.
The Declaration on the establishment of a Single Africa Air Transport Market, as a flagship project of the AU Agenda 2063 was adopted by the African Union (AU) Assembly in 2015 to expedite the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) of 1999 that provides a framework liberalisation in terms of market access between African States, the free exercise of traffic rights, the elimination of restrictions on ownership and the full liberalization of frequencies, fares, and capacities.
Story by Nana Ama Nyamekye/Ahotoronline
