Nigeria became Africa’s fourth-largest aviation market — Premium Times Nigeria

Nigeria’s aviation market ranked fourth in Africa in 2025: more than 18.8 million domestic and international passenger journeys were recorded in the country during the year. Premium Times Nigeria reports, citing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Growth in aviation capacity

FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku presented these figures at the Airports Council International Africa 2026 regional conference and exhibition in Abuja. According to analytics company OAG, in September 2026 Nigerian airlines and carriers serving the country scheduled about 1.19 million seats on flights departing from Nigeria. This was 37.4% more than the 864,100 seats in September 2025.

According to OAG’s estimate, Nigeria recorded the highest percentage growth among Africa’s ten largest aviation markets. In Lagos, scheduled capacity rose by 24.1% year-on-year, to approximately 470,000 seats in September. Domestic scheduled capacity in Nigeria increased by 44.8%, to about 877,000 seats.

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Demand and infrastructure problems

Onabanjo-Kuku linked the capacity growth to currency reforms, new aircraft leasing mechanisms, and greater airline confidence. She also noted that international passenger demand among African carriers rose by 6.4% year-on-year in July 2026, while the global figure for the period declined by 0.1%.

According to her, despite the growth, Africa accounts for about 1% of global air traffic, although the continent is home to approximately 18% of the world’s population. In Nigeria, more than 220 million residents generate around 19.5 million passenger journeys a year through 28 airports.

The FAAN head named high operating costs, insufficient infrastructure, and limited access to capital as the main challenges facing African aviation. She called on governments and financial institutions to create predictable and commercially sustainable mechanisms for investing in airport infrastructure.