Nigeria’s aviation industry is at risk of losing out on the $1.3 billion annual economic benefits projected under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) initiative due to its lack of international transit hubs, industry stakeholders have warned.
Despite being a signatory to SAATM, a flagship African Union project aimed at liberalising African airspace and boosting intra-continental connectivity, Nigeria has failed to position itself as a regional aviation hub. This shortcoming has left its airlines struggling to compete with smaller West African nations that have adopted streamlined international transit operations.
The SAATM initiative, fully implemented, is expected to increase intra-African air traffic by 51% and cut average airfares by as much as 26%, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It is also projected to add $1.3bn annually to Africa’s aviation GDP.
However, Nigerian operators argue that poor airport infrastructure and bureaucratic transit procedures are preventing the country from leveraging this opportunity.
Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, criticised the lack of dedicated transit zones in major airports, which discourages international passengers from using Nigerian carriers as connecting flights.
“We need to feed our international operations with passengers from across the region,” Onyema said. “Customs and immigration must understand that these are transit passengers—they don’t need visas. Look at small Togo; they don’t even have domestic operations, but Asky Airlines is thriving because passengers can come in, connect, and leave seamlessly.”
Similarly, Aero Contractors’ Managing Director, Capt. Ado Sanusi, urged the government to invest in airport redesign to facilitate smooth baggage transfer and international connections without routing passengers through immigration.
“The Lagos airport can become a hub if properly redesigned,” Sanusi noted. “Passengers should be able to remain in transit without immigration bottlenecks. Just look at Lomé in Togo; it has become a model hub, transiting thousands of passengers with minimal fuss.”
Industry experts say the lack of effective transit hubs is not just an aviation problem but also an economic one. A functional hub would increase duty-free revenues, airport service charges, and overall international traffic, making Nigeria a preferred transit point for African and global travelers.
Sanusi explained that the hub model has already proven successful in other regions, with smaller African countries capturing traffic that should naturally pass through Nigeria due to its population size and geographic advantage.
“The absence of world-class transit facilities is costing us billions. Nigeria should be the leading gateway to Africa, but smaller countries are taking advantage of our inefficiency,” he added.
Stakeholders are now calling on the Federal Government and relevant aviation authorities to urgently address infrastructure gaps and streamline transit procedures.
According to aviation analysts, transforming airports such as Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Lagos) and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (Abuja) into full-fledged transit hubs would unlock enormous economic potential, attract global partnerships, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in Africa’s aviation market.
“A functional transit hub could change everything,” Onyema insisted. “It will boost airline revenues, attract foreign carriers, and create jobs. Nigeria has the market, but without reform, we will keep losing out on opportunities like SAATM.”
With competition growing and neighboring countries like Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire upgrading their airport facilities to tap into SAATM benefits, experts warn that Nigeria risks further marginalisation if urgent steps are not taken.