Keyamo, Chinese Plane Manufacturer Discuss Leasing Partnership with Nigerian Carriers

On Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador Yu Dunhai and a group from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) met with Nigerian Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo to discuss collaborations for the advancement of Nigeria’s aviation industry.

At the head of the COMAC delegation were Tim Chen, vice-president of AVIC-KDN Airport Engineering Co. Ltd.; Ma Mengyao, general manager of AVIC-KDN Airport Engineering in Nigeria; Deng Zhiliang, deputy head of the marketing department; and Michael C. Luo, technology director. Yang Yang was the vice-president of the marketing and sales committee.

Tunde Moshood, the minister’s special assistant on communications and the media, said in a statement on Wednesday that the meetings took place independently in Abuja.

Dunhai reiterated that the Chinese government is committed to assisting the minister in realizing his plans for the growth of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

As the sixth most populated country in the world and the giant of Africa, Nigeria has countless prospects for mutually beneficial partnership, he said, highlighting aviation as a major driver of economic development and improved connectivity.

“The market is in Nigeria, and I see promise there. According to Dunhai, “China is prepared to be a dependable partner in this growth trajectory as the economy soon recovers.”

The vice-president of COMAC’s marketing and sales committee attended a separate meeting to discuss potential areas of cooperation with Nigerian airlines, specifically in the areas of long-term cooperation, technical support services, and aircraft leasing.

Keyamo welcomed the talks and underlined Nigeria’s preparedness for strategic alliances with the Chinese aviation giant, according to Moshood, who had previously visited COMAC’s headquarters in China.

“To further these discussions, we are prepared for this partnership and will shortly lead a delegation of domestic airline executives to COMAC’s headquarters,” the minister stated.

“Nigeria is willing to let COMAC access the larger African market by using our nation as a base.”

In addition to opening up new avenues for domestic airlines to obtain cutting-edge aircraft leasing and support services catered to Nigeria’s growing aviation sector, the twin visits are a major step in bettering Nigeria-China aviation relations, the statement said.