Nigeria must move from consuming imported aviation technology to producing it, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo has stated.
He spoke at the opening of House of Tenposs, a creative entrepreneurship hub in Lagos, where he delivered an address titled, “Innovation and the Future of Nigeria’s Aviation and Aerospace Economy”, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Keyamo, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Service Delivery, Janet Oputa, challenged Nigerian entrepreneurs to seize opportunities in aircraft maintenance, drone manufacturing, sustainable aviation fuel and other aviation technologies, saying local production would conserve foreign exchange, create jobs and deepen the country’s industrial capacity.
The minister opined that Nigeria’s aviation future would be shaped by its ability to innovate rather than continue relying heavily on imported technology and services.
“The future of Nigeria’s aviation and aerospace economy will be determined by whether we innovate or whether we import,” Keyamo said.
He urged entrepreneurs to look beyond conventional aviation businesses and explore opportunities across the emerging technology and industrial value chain.
Among the opportunities, he identified sustainable aviation fuel, saying Nigeria already had potential feedstock in cassava residues as well as expanding refining capacity that could support local production.
“The raw materials are here. The question is whether we will develop the industrial capacity to process them, or whether we will import sustainable fuel from elsewhere. That is an ownership question. And it is a question of innovation,” he added.
Keyamo also called for indigenous drone manufacturing, pointing to potential applications in agriculture, logistics, infrastructure inspection, emergency response and defence.
He further urged investors to develop aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, arguing that sending aircraft abroad for major maintenance was contributing to foreign exchange outflows.
He cited Air Peace’s maintenance facility in Lagos as an example of the type of local capacity Nigeria needed to develop. Beyond local manufacturing, Keyamo said the Federal Government had introduced reforms to improve access to aircraft for Nigerian airlines.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s compliance score under the Cape Town Convention had risen from 49.5 per cent to 75.5 per cent following measures introduced by the government.
He also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of the Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company in April 2026 to acquire or lease aircraft for Nigerian operators.
The minister’s call came against a broader push at the event for entrepreneurs to turn local ideas and resources into commercially viable businesses.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Oshodi, urged entrepreneurs to abandon the culture of hoarding ideas and embrace collaboration.
“The reshaping of the mind is the very first thing. We need to throw away the idea of hoarding or gatekeeping ideas,” Oshodi said.
She stated that collaboration and investment in areas such as renewable energy, waste management and resource efficiency could help Nigeria address economic and environmental challenges while creating wealth.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of House of Tenposs, Ayoola Ojo, said Africa’s huge population and talent base could become a major economic advantage if governments and businesses invested more deliberately in local production and intellectual property.
He said House of Tenposs would work with universities, researchers, creators, manufacturers, investors, governments, and international companies to turn ideas into commercial products and businesses.