Nigeria recorded more than 18.8 million domestic and international air passengers in 2025, an 11.9 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The growth makes Nigeria the fourth-largest aviation market in Africa, FAAN Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku said at the Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition 2026 in Abuja.
The figures point to expanding demand for air travel in Nigeria, supported by increased airline capacity and renewed interest from international operators.
But the expansion also raises questions about whether domestic airlines can compete effectively with foreign carriers and whether airport infrastructure and financing can keep pace with demand.
Lagos Airport Records 24.1% Increase in Scheduled Seat Capacity
Onabanjo-Kuku, who also serves as Vice-President of ACI Africa, said Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s 10 largest airports in September.
The airport’s scheduled capacity increased by 24.1 per cent, while Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity reached 1.19 million seats for the month, up 37.4 per cent from the corresponding period a year earlier.
She attributed the expansion partly to currency reforms, new aircraft-leasing arrangements and improving confidence among international airlines.
According to the FAAN chief, several airlines have resumed operations in Nigeria since the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, assumed office, with further resumptions expected.
The increase in scheduled seats suggests that airlines are making more capacity available to the market. However, seat capacity and passenger traffic measure different aspects of aviation activity: additional seats do not automatically translate into higher passenger numbers or improved profitability for airlines.
African Aviation Demand Grows Despite Global Weakness
Onabanjo-Kuku also cited industry figures showing that African aviation demand continued to expand in July 2026.
International passenger demand among African airlines rose by 6.4 per cent year-on-year, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Global passenger demand, by contrast, declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period.
Overall passenger demand in Africa increased by 5.2 per cent, she said.
The figures indicate that the continent’s aviation market is growing even as the industry faces structural constraints, including limited connectivity, high operating costs and infrastructure gaps.
Yet Africa continues to account for only about one per cent of global air traffic, Onabanjo-Kuku noted, leaving a substantial difference between the continent’s population and its share of global aviation activity.
Nigeria’s population of more than 220 million provides a large potential market, but the FAAN chief said the country records approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports.
The difference between the 18.8 million passengers recorded in 2025 and the approximately 19.5 million annual figure cited in her remarks may reflect different reporting periods or datasets; the figures were not reconciled in the address.
Domestic Airlines Face a Cost-of-Capital Challenge
Despite the increase in passenger traffic, aviation expert Samuel Caulcrick warned that Nigerian airlines were not necessarily benefiting from the expansion.
He argued that local carriers face a financing disadvantage when competing with international airlines, which may have access to cheaper capital and more favourable aircraft-financing arrangements.
Caulcrick said airport charges alone did not explain the competitive imbalance, pointing instead to the cost of financing aircraft and operations.
His assessment highlights a key distinction in the aviation market: rising passenger numbers can expand the revenue opportunity for airlines, but profitability also depends on operating costs, financing terms, fleet availability and the competitive structure of routes.
For Nigerian carriers, access to affordable aircraft leasing and financing could therefore influence how much of the market’s growth they are able to capture.
FAAN Invests in Runways, Terminals and Digital Systems
Onabanjo-Kuku said FAAN was pursuing infrastructure improvements and operational upgrades to accommodate rising traffic while maintaining safety and service standards.
The authority has focused on runway rehabilitation, terminal upgrades and improvements to airfield lighting, including work at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
She said the projects were being undertaken while airport operations continued.
FAAN is also introducing digital systems designed to improve passenger processing and airport security. These include faster check-in procedures, automated e-passport gates, enhanced security systems and passenger-data analytics.
The authority secured ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications in January 2026, according to Onabanjo-Kuku, covering quality management and environmental management standards.
She added that more than 3,500 FAAN personnel had received training and certification through programmes organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and Airports Council International.
The initiatives form part of a broader effort to improve airport performance as passenger numbers and airline capacity increase.
Keyamo Calls for Resilient, Financially Sustainable Airports
Speaking at the conference, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo said the next generation of airports must be designed around resilience, rather than expansion alone.
He said modern airports needed to be safe, efficient, financially sustainable, technologically enabled and environmentally responsible, while remaining capable of responding to disruptions.
Keyamo identified pandemics, geopolitical tensions, economic shocks, climate events, cyber threats and infrastructure failures as risks that airport operators must prepare for.
He also stressed that technology should improve the passenger experience rather than become an end in itself.
The minister pointed to Nigeria’s 91.45 per cent Effective Implementation score following the 2026 ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission, citing it as evidence of progress in aviation safety oversight.
He also highlighted the rehabilitation and expansion of Terminal 1 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, describing the project as part of efforts to modernise one of the country’s principal international gateways.
Government Seeks Private Investment Across Aviation Value Chain
Keyamo said the Federal Government was encouraging greater private-sector participation in airport infrastructure and services.
He also identified aircraft leasing, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities, cargo infrastructure and other aviation-related services as areas where investment could support the industry’s development.
The strategy reflects an effort to expand aviation beyond passenger transportation and strengthen the supporting businesses that help airlines and airports operate.
For Nigeria, developing these services could have implications for employment, logistics, tourism, trade and the cost of operating airlines. However, the scale of those benefits will depend on investment, execution and the ability of operators to sustain commercially viable services.
Intra-African Connectivity Remains a Major Constraint
The conference, themed “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,” brought together airport executives, regulators, financiers, technology providers and other aviation stakeholders.
Both FAAN and the Federal Government identified connectivity as a central challenge for African aviation.
Keyamo argued that travelling between some African cities should not be more difficult than flying from those cities to destinations outside the continent.
Improving intra-African routes would require cooperation among governments, airlines, airports and regulators, alongside investment in infrastructure and commercially sustainable services.
Nigeria’s rising passenger numbers and scheduled seat capacity indicate growing activity in its aviation market. Whether that growth translates into stronger domestic airlines, better passenger experiences and broader economic benefits will depend on how effectively the industry addresses financing constraints, infrastructure needs and limited regional connectivity.
