Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIarb (UK), on Wednesday received in separate visits the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, and senior executives of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
The COMAC delegation was led by Yang Yang, Vice President of the Marketing and Sales Committee, alongside Michael C. Luo, Technology Director; Deng Zhiliang, Deputy Head of Marketing Department; Tim Chen, Vice President of AVIC-KDN Airport Engineering Co. Ltd; and Ma Mengyao, General Manager of AVIC-KDN Airport Engineering Nigeria Branch.
During the courtesy call, Ambassador Yu conveyed the commitment of the Government of the People’s Republic of China to support Nigeria’s aviation sector reforms. He described aviation as a critical driver of economic growth and connectivity, stressing that Nigeria’s size and position on the continent offered vast potential for partnership.
“Nigeria has the market, and I see the potential. The economy is going to bounce back soon, and China is ready to be a reliable partner in this growth trajectory,” Ambassador Yu stated.
In a separate engagement, COMAC’s Vice President, Yang Yang, held strategic discussions with the minister on avenues of collaboration between the Chinese aircraft manufacturer and Nigerian airlines, particularly in the areas of aircraft leasing, technical support services, and long-term cooperation.
Keyamo, who had earlier visited COMAC’s headquarters in China, welcomed the discussions and reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness for a strategic partnership with the aviation giant.
“We are ready for this collaboration and will soon lead a delegation of domestic airline executives to COMAC’s headquarters to deepen these discussions. Nigeria is open to allowing COMAC to use our country as a base to access the wider African market,” the minister said.
The visits were described as a significant step towards strengthening aviation ties between Nigeria and China, opening new opportunities for domestic airlines to access modern aircraft leasing and tailored support services.
