RismadarVoice Reporters, February 28, 2026
Nigeria and Cameroon have formally signed a Bilateral Agreement on Technical Aeronautical Search and Rescue Operations, aimed at enhancing aviation safety and cooperation across their shared airspace.
The agreement was signed on Friday in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, following high-level talks between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and his Cameroonian counterpart, Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest NgalNgallé Bibehe.
Keyamo announced the development on Saturday via his official X account, saying the agreement “enhances airspace safety by enabling faster and more coordinated responses to aviation emergencies across our shared borders.”
The Nigerian delegation included the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, and key directors from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. According to Keyamo, the composition of the team was deliberate to ensure a “unified approach to implementation” from the outset.
The agreement provides a framework for technical cooperation between the two nations in responding to aviation emergencies in or near their shared border regions.
The signing follows months after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso due to a technical fault, leading to the detention of 11 military personnel for nine days over airspace violations. They were released after diplomatic intervention by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar under President Tinubu’s directive.
The accord marks a significant step in strengthening regional aviation safety and cross-border coordination between Nigeria and Cameroon.
