Africa’s vision for transformation, Agenda 2063 calls for an integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s renaissance. To achieve this goal, there is ardent need to step up infrastructure development on the continent.

President of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu with Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency

The Single African Air Transport Market is the first African Union Agenda 2063 flagship project, which aims to create a single unified air transport market in Africa, to liberalise civil aviation on the continent and to advance Africa’s economic integration agenda. This will enhance the movement of people, goods and services, thus promoting trade facilitation.

To this end, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency, held a meeting with the President of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu in Montréal, Canada, where a memorandum was understanding was signed on 8 May. This will see the two organisations work together towards aviation infrastructure development in Africa.

“Aviation projects will be part of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) 2020-2030 action plan,” Dr Mayaki stated. He also called upon ICAO to play a prominent role in the selection of potential projects that can be prepared as PIDA projects in the requisite action plan.

NEPAD Agency and ICAO areas of collaboration will include the facilitation of funding and financing for aviation infrastructure development in Africa; implementation of NEPAD Agency’s MoveAfrica initiative for the aviation sector; development of aviation professionals with gender equity in Africa, and; e-commerce development in Africa.

The parties agreed that closer cooperation between the institutions can help mainstream the priorities of the aviation sector into the integrated transport system planning and development efforts in Africa, which will ultimately contribute to the overall sustainable development of air transport on the continent.