The Strategic Aviation Professionals and Transport Communications Organisation (SAPTCO) has rescheduled its highly anticipated Annual Lecture, focusing on the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), to Thursday, January 7, 2027.
The lecture, which will also serve as a training programme, will hold at 11:00 a.m. at the NCAA Training Suite, Annex, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The venue and time remain unchanged.
The event will feature Ms. Iyabo O. Sosina, former Secretary-General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), as the guest lecturer. Sosina played a significant role in the development and launch of SAATM during her tenure at the continental aviation body.
In a statement, SAPTCO Managing Consultant, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, described the gathering as a potentially defining engagement that would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine why the ambitious African aviation integration initiative has yet to achieve its full objectives.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has confirmed, through an aide, his acceptance of the invitation to attend as Special Guest of Honour, while the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, will attend as Guest of Honour.
The former Director-General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, who delivered the inaugural SAPTCO Annual Lecture, is also expected to attend as Father of the Day.
Other expected participants include representatives of airlines, aviation agencies, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), as well as aviation media practitioners and other industry stakeholders.
According to Adurogboye, the lecture is designed to refocus the attention of African leaders and aviation stakeholders on the objectives of SAATM, particularly the Open Skies Policy, traffic rights and the implementation of the 1999 Yamoussoukro Decision.
Launched in January 2018 as an African Union initiative, SAATM seeks to establish a single, unified civil aviation market across the continent by removing restrictions that limit air connectivity between African countries.
The initiative is expected to promote greater access to African airspace, reduce airfares, stimulate intra-African travel and trade, and strengthen connectivity across the continent. It is also regarded as a critical component of the broader African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
However, years after its launch, the initiative has yet to translate into the level of market integration envisaged by its proponents.
Adurogboye expressed concern over the slow pace of implementation, describing the delay as a setback to the continent’s aviation and economic development aspirations.
He said the SAPTCO lecture would provide a platform for meaningful discussions on the challenges hindering the programme and the practical steps required to accelerate its implementation.
He expressed optimism that the engagement would serve as a catalyst for renewed commitment to SAATM, noting that effective implementation would deliver improved air connectivity, economic growth, reduced operational costs and wider benefits for African countries.