By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Wednesday hosted Namibian Ambassador to Nigeria, Humphrey Geiseb, where the duo discussed visas-on-arrival for travel to Namibia.
The discussion also delved into the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Namibia.
Ambassador Geiseb highlighted the vital links between Nigeria and Namibia in the air transport sector, stressing the historical significance of Air Namibia’s operations between the two countries.
The national carrier previously connected Lagos to Accra and played a key role in facilitating travel between Namibia and Nigeria, the envoy stated.
He expressed his country’s interest in brokering a partnership with Nigerian airlines to restore direct connectivity, citing ongoing discussions with Nigerian local carrier, Air Peace.
He encouraged Keyamo to engage with domestic airlines to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
Keyamo expressed his support for direct flights between Nigeria and Namibia, explaining that there have been direct flight routes between Nigeria and other countries such as Algeria, Libya, and Cameroon.
The minister also noted that one of Nigeria’s fast-rising domestic carriers, Xejet, which currently operates Sierra Leone’s national carrier, Air Sierra Leone, could be a potential partner in this venture.
Ambassador Geiseb assured the minister that he would engage his counterpart, Namibia’s Minister of Aviation, to arrange a possible visit to further strengthen aviation cooperation between both countries.
Additionally, the minister raised concerns about visa challenges between Nigeria and Namibia, recalling his recent difficulties in obtaining a visa despite holding a diplomatic passport.
He urged the ambassador to work towards resolving these issues to facilitate smoother travel and open doors for more trade and investment relations between the two countries.
