Nigeria and Canada are getting back to the table to sort out direct flights between both countries.
The next round of talks is scheduled for August 6, 2026, according to Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. He announced it on Wednesday in Abuja during a courtesy visit from Canada’s chargé d’affaires to Nigeria, David Sproule, and his team.
The core of the meeting was about breaking the deadlock that’s held up direct air services for years. A statement from Keyamo’s media adviser, Tunde Moshood, said both sides want a framework that covers not just flights, but smoother cooperation overall.
Canada is sending a high-level delegation to Nigeria in the first week of August to push the discussions forward. Sproule said one key issue Canada wants addressed is immigration procedures. He proposed building Standard Operating Procedures, SOPs, into the agreement to handle the processing and return of Nigerians who are not legally allowed to stay in Canada.
His concern: if direct flights start without clear repatriation rules, passenger traffic will jump and put more pressure on immigration and enforcement systems.
Keyamo said Nigeria is very keen on the route. He noted that thousands of Nigerians fly to Canada every week, but right now everyone has to connect through Europe or the US because there’s no direct option. Launching direct flights, he said, would cut travel time, improve convenience, and boost economic and people-to-people ties.
On the SOP proposal, Keyamo clarified that deportation and immigration matters aren’t under the aviation ministry. Those would need the Ministry of Interior and other agencies involved.
“The aviation part is one side of it. The immigration side needs other ministries,” he said. “But we’ll help bring the right institutions in. If agreeing on SOPs is what it takes to move forward, then let’s do it.”
Both countries agreed to continue negotiations at the bilateral meeting on August 6. The goal is to resolve the outstanding issues and sign off on an agreement that works for both sides.
Talks about Nigeria-Canada direct flights first started back on July 23, 2024.
