The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is currently in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, on a working visit where he is participating as one of the special guests at the 8th Africa-Ireland Trade Horizon Conference.
The annual conference brings together leaders from Africa and Ireland to explore deeper bilateral ties and promote mutually beneficial trade and development partnerships, particularly in the civil aviation sector.
On the sidelines of the 8th AFRICA-IRELAND TRADE HORIZON CONFERENCE taking place in Dublin, Ireland (at which I am billed to deliver an address), yesterday I had the privilege of touring Newcastle Aerodrome Aviation School at Wicklow, which is a County just outside Dublin, with… pic.twitter.com/NarzQb6Dqs
— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) June 24, 2025
The visit was confirmed in a press statement issued by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood.
In his address at the conference, Keyamo is expected to highlight Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening strategic international collaborations in aviation infrastructure development and skills advancement, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Minister accompanied by Mrs Ibiyemi Ajiboye-Roberts, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ireland paid a technical visit to Newcastle Aerodrome Aviation School in County Wicklow. They were received by the institution’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Nugent.
During the tour, the Minister inspected the school’s training facilities, including its fleet of Viper SD4 trainer aircraft, simulation laboratories, classrooms, and maintenance hangars.
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Discussions between the Nigerian delegation and the school’s management focused on establishing a strategic partnership with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria. Proposed areas of collaboration include the joint development of aviation training curricula to align with international standards, the launch of a bilateral pilot licensing programme, and the development of supporting skills in aircraft engineering and air traffic control to address Nigeria’s growing aviation workforce demands.
Keyamo expressed appreciation for the warm reception and praised the institution’s achievements in aviation training. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s willingness to forge international partnerships that would enhance domestic capacity and advance the country’s aviation value chain.
The visit underscores the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria as a centre of aviation excellence in Africa through innovation, global cooperation, and sustained capacity building.
