Canada and Nigeria expand air transport agreement
Canada’s expanded air transport agreement with Nigeria removes a key regulatory barrier to direct passenger and cargo service between the two countries. It allows multiple airlines from each country to operate scheduled routes, with capacity for 14 passenger and 10 all-cargo flights per week. The agreement also grants fifth-freedom rights for cargo, giving airlines more flexibility to build freight networks through other markets.
The immediate policy signal is improved market access. The agreement provides the necessary route rights, while airlines will determine whether demand and operating conditions justify launching services. The commercial base is meaningful: Nigeria is now Canada’s third-largest bilateral air market in Africa, and traffic between the two countries has more than doubled over the past decade. Direct service could reduce travel and shipping barriers for businesses, students, travellers and diaspora-linked commerce. For ACPiL, the main test will be implementation: whether airlines launch routes and whether improved connectivity produces measurable gains in cargo movement, business travel and Canada–Nigeria trade.