AVIC-KDN highlights opportunities for Nigeria’s aviation sector as Nigeria International Airshow closes

L-R Tim Chen, Vice President, AVIC-KDN Airport Engineering Co. Ltd; Robert Prentice, Vice President, Textron Aviation; Alex Badeh Jr, Director General, Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau; Carolina Chen Lin, Marketing & Business Development Manager, AVIC-KDN Airport Engineering Co. Ltd at the Nigeria International Airshow.

AVIC-KDN marked its participation at the maiden Nigeria International Airshow with strong momentum, following a highly successful three-day outing that brought together aviation leaders, policymakers, and industry experts at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The event has proven to be a critical platform for shaping discussions around the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry.

The AVIC-KDN delegation engaged in a series of discussions with various dignitaries, including George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who represented the President of Nigeria at the Opening Ceremony, and the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

These engagements centered on Nigeria’s aviation priorities and the strategic role the company can play in supporting the country’s long-term ambitions.

Read also: Nigeria has potential to become one of Africa’s most important aviation hubs – Chen

Tim Chen, AVIC-KDN’s Vice President, who participated in the panel session during the Opening Ceremony, shared insights on the urgent need to enhance airport efficiency, strengthen collaboration across stakeholders, and establish integrated processes that can reduce operational costs while improving overall passenger experience.

“Nigeria currently serves about 16 million air travellers, with a projected eight per cent annual growth rate over the next decade. This means the gap between what is available and what is needed is very significant. However, ongoing stakeholders engagements and key partnerships provide a strong indicator that Nigeria is on the right path to not only meet local demand but become a major destination hub on the continent and a leader in the global aviation sector.”

He emphasised that many of Nigeria’s current challenges, ranging from fragmented airport operations to outdated infrastructure, can be addressed through modern airport-management systems and coordinated, data-driven solutions.

Reflecting the company’s end-to-end capability across airport design, engineering, operations and long-term maintenance, AVIC-KDN reiterated its readiness to support Nigeria’s journey toward a more efficient, resilient and internationally competitive aviation ecosystem.

This holistic approach, combined with its strong global partnerships, underscores the company’s unique ability to deliver comprehensive upgrades across all stages of airport development.

Read also: AVIC-KDN backs aviation sector development for regional leadership

Speaking after a full day of meetings and industry exchanges, Regional Africa Manager for AVIC-KDN, Mengyao Ma, described the Air Show as a major success for the company.

He noted that the strong turnout of aviation professionals and decision-makers reaffirmed the enormous potential of Nigeria’s aviation sector, provided that key opportunities are addressed with urgency and collaboration.

These opportunities span multiple critical areas, including the airline sector’s need for new aircraft, the demand for affordable, local maintenance solutions, and the significant room for improvement across many airports seeking to increase capacity and operational efficiency.

AVIC-KDN reiterated that Nigeria is uniquely positioned and the company stands ready to contribute its expertise, technology and long-term partnership model to help unlock that potential.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.

She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.

She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.

As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.

She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.

Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category.

She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.

She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.

Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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