History made ..As NIGERIA INAUGURATES 7-MAN STEERING COMMITTEE FOR SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL DEVELOPMENT

      

• By Richlist Int Magazine ( Aviation unit )

Abuja roared into the future on Monday, July 20, 2026. Inside the International Conference Centre, Nigeria lit the match for a cleaner sky, launching its Sustainable Aviation Fuel programme and staking a claim as the pace-setter for Africa’s Green Aviation Drive. It was more than a ceremony. It was a declaration that the country is ready to fly differently.

The day delivered three moves in one. The National High-Level SAF Steering Committee was inaugurated. The National SAF Feasibility Study was presented. And an ICAO-supported SAF Business Implementation Study was launched. Together, they form the foundation for decarbonising Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The seven-man steering committee takes center stage. Its mandate is clear: serve as the national governance platform, provide strategic direction, coordinate implementation, foster collaboration across industry and government, and oversee delivery of Nigeria’s SAF programme from blueprint to runway.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, could not be there in person but his message landed with weight. Represented by the Director of Air Transport Management, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Tijani, the Minister called the moment a landmark in building a resilient, competitive, and environmentally sustainable aviation industry.

Keyamo framed SAF as Nigeria’s triple win. Beyond cutting carbon emissions, the fuel opens the door to new investment, creates jobs, strengthens energy security, and unlocks value across agriculture, energy, and manufacturing. It connects the farm to the flight deck.

He then turned to the committee with a direct charge. Approach this assignment with dedication, innovation, and a shared sense of national purpose. The task, he said, demands urgency but also long-term thinking, because the decisions made now will shape how Nigeria flies for the next generation.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, described the gathering as a defining turning point. For years the conversation had been about plans and possibilities. Now, he said, Nigeria is moving from planning to implementation, from ideas to action.

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Najomo explained how the country got here. The feasibility study was developed under ICAO’s Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels Programme. It was funded by the European Union and backed with technical support from EASA, giving Nigeria a credible, data-driven path forward.

That study matters because it maps what Nigeria already has in abundance: feedstock. The report shows how agricultural waste, energy crops, and other local resources can be converted into commercially viable SAF. In other words, Nigeria can grow its fuel instead of only importing it.

As secretariat of the new steering committee, the NCAA pledged to keep the engine running. Capt. Najomo restated the Authority’s commitment to coordinating stakeholders, aligning policies, and driving the programme forward in partnership with airlines, producers, regulators, and communities.

He also paused to acknowledge the partners who made the milestone possible. Gratitude went to the European Union for funding, to EASA for technical expertise, and to ICAO for capacity building and global alignment. Their support, he noted, proves that climate action in aviation is a shared mission.

With the committee inaugurated and the studies launched, history has been made. Nigeria has moved from ambition to architecture. The work ahead is big, but the signal is bigger: a cleaner, greener, and more self-reliant aviation sector is taking off, and Africa is watching.

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