Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago Sign Direct Flight Deal

Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago have signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) marking commencement for the opening of direct flights between the two countries.

This Bilateral Air Services Agreement promises to revolutionize the way trade and travel exist between West Africa and the Caribbean region.

The agreement which had been on the negotiation blocks for over 15 years, was eventually inked following a top-level summit between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Nigeria, Wendell De Landro.

Speaking on the development, Keyamo labeled the deal “a breakthrough in African-Caribbean connectivity” and added that the direct flight path will drastically reduce traveling time. Traveling between Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago already takes over 24 hours with multiple layovers. By the new deal, that is all about to change to around seven and a half hours.

Both countries anticipate that the new air route will further enhance bilateral trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

Keyamo reaffirmed that not only Nigerians and Trinidadians but even individuals in general of Africa and the Caribbean will significantly benefit from being strategically connected through direct air flights.

“This signing opens space for closer, more creative cooperation across spaces like trade, entertainment, education, and cultural heritage exchanges,” Keyamo stated.

High Commissioner Wendell De Landro seconded the views, hopeful that the direct air connection would ease greater tourist movement and business between the two nations.

In order to enable the communication between the action and the agreement, Minister Keyamo directed the setting up of a special working committee with immediate effect. The committee will advise stakeholders such as regulators, airlines, and aviation service providers to commence operating the new route as quickly as possible.

Industry experts suggest that with flights initiated, this would establish Nigeria as travel hub for African-Caribbean destinations, and in the process offer Trinidad and Tobago a strategic point of entry into the African continent.

The BASA signing is a new milestone in Nigeria’s diplomatic outreach, especially under the broad African Union’s initiative to enhance relations with diaspora nations. It aligns with Nigeria’s strategy to expand global connectivity, attract foreign investment, and promote intra-African and intercontinental mobility.