Nigeria, Namibia Strengthen Ties Amid Visa, Aviation Challenges
The Nigerian government has initiated discussions with Namibia to address visa challenges and improve air connectivity between both countries. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, recently met with Namibia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Humphrey Geiseb, in Abuja to explore solutions that will enhance travel and trade relations.
Keyamo emphasized the need to remove obstacles preventing Nigerians from securing Namibian visas with ease, stating that a smoother process would strengthen bilateral ties and economic collaboration.
According to a statement from Keyamo’s spokesperson, Tunde Moshood, the meeting also provided an opportunity to assess the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Namibia, with a focus on potential partnerships to enhance connectivity.
During the discussions, Ambassador Geiseb reflected on the historical significance of Air Namibia’s past operations, which once linked Lagos and Accra to Windhoek.
“The national carrier previously connected Lagos to Accra and played a key role in facilitating travel between Namibia and Nigeria. Unfortunately, Air Namibia faced financial difficulties and was eventually forced to cease operations following a government bailout,” he said.
Geiseb noted that travelers currently struggle to connect directly from Windhoek to Nigeria, often having to transit through Addis Ababa. While some flights operate via TAG Airlines, he admitted they are too infrequent to meet growing demand.
He also revealed that Namibia is open to working with Nigerian airlines to restore direct flights and confirmed that discussions with Air Peace are already underway.
Encouraging deeper collaboration, the ambassador urged Keyamo to engage Nigerian domestic airlines on the possibility of expanding their routes to include Namibia.
In response, Keyamo expressed his support for the initiative and shared his personal experience regarding the difficulties of establishing direct flights in Africa.
He cited the success of the Algeria-Lagos-Cameroon route, which was launched after the Algerian Ambassador proposed the connection, despite Nigeria and Cameroon’s close proximity.
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Keyamo suggested that Xejet, a fast-rising Nigerian airline currently operating Air Sierra Leone, could play a role in reviving direct flights between Nigeria and Namibia.
Ambassador Geiseb assured that he would engage Namibia’s Minister of Aviation for further talks on strengthening aviation cooperation between the two nations.
The discussion also addressed visa-related challenges, with Keyamo recalling his own recent difficulty in obtaining a Namibian visa despite holding a diplomatic passport.
“He urged the Ambassador to work towards resolving these issues to facilitate smoother travel and to open doors for more trade and investment relations between the two countries.”
Both officials agreed to collaborate in resolving these challenges, marking a step towards improved diplomatic and aviation relations between Nigeria and Namibia.
