Air Transport Agreement: Canadian MP Charges Nigerians to Put Pressure on Nigeria’s Air Peace and Air Canada for Direct Flights from Both Countries

Follow

( 0 Followers )

X

Follow

E-mail : *

Follow Unfollow

Nigerians living in Canada have been tasked to press for the conclusion of the ongoing negotiations between Air Canada and Air Peace to make the recently signed air transport agreement between Nigeria and Canada for direct flights from both countries to become a reality. Air Peace is Nigeria’s largest airline. The agreement was signed Friday March 21, 2025, in Nigeria. The charge was given by Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament, Winnipeg South in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, on Saturday October 4, 2025, during Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary celebration held at the Alloway Hall, Manitoba Museum, 190, Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg. The anniversary had as its theme, “Celebrating 65 Years Of Independence: Colours of Our Nation”. The event, organised by the Nigerian Association of Manitoba Incorporated, (NAMI) had in attendance the crème-de-la-crème of the Nigerian community in Manitoba, and top officials of government, including the premiere, The Honourable Wab Kinew, who was represented by Nigerian born Uzoma Asagwara, deputy premiere and member of parliament; Mayor, City of Winnipeg, Scott Gillingham, and other members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).   Duguid, who said he was so proud to represent Winnipeg South which he noted has the second highest per capita Nigerian community in Canada, and hoped that it would soon be the first, said it was for that reason he committed to push hard on the air transport agreement. According to the member of the Liberal Party of Canada and former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, “I committed last year to push very, very hard on an air transport agreement between Nigeria and Canada, and there is your transport minister Festus Keyamo and our High Commissioner (pointing at the projected signing of the agreement)  signing the agreement that allows for direct flights between Nigeria, Canada, and Algeria”. Throwing the ball into the court of Nigerians, Duguid said, “My job has been done, but there are negotiations that are happening between Peace Air (Air Peace) and Air Canada. “They bogged down a little bit, and this is where you come in. You have to put pressure on Air Canada and Peace Air (Air Peace) to come to an agreement so we can make that dream a reality so you can get home to see your families, so we can do more commerce; so we can have more students going back and forth, we can have more cultural exchanges. “So, folks, you’ve got work to do”. At the agreement signing ceremony, Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, who signed on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, explained that the agreement was “not a full bilateral agreement but a code-sharing arrangement”. This, he said, means two or more airlines can market and sell seats on flights operated by another airline, allowing passengers to travel on flights under a different airline’s code, adding that Nigeria would designate airline operators to facilitate the agreement. Keyamo said the agreement would further strengthen the relationship between both countries. In his remarks, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pasquale Salvaggio thanked the Nigerian government and expressed Canada’s readiness to work with Nigeria to strengthen bilateral ties. He said the code-sharing arrangement would provide greater access to cities through a single airline’s network without requiring additional flights, making connections more convenient with single bookings across multiple flights and airlines. Salvaggio said, “Most major airlines today have code-sharing partnerships with other airlines, and code-sharing is a key feature of airline alliances”. Recall that at the same venue last year at Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary, the Premier of Manitoba, Kinew, in his goodwill message, had hinted of the prospect of direct flights from both countries. Kinew announced that the process was on to achieve this “to make travel between our two countries easier and more accessible”. Apologising for not being able to come in person as he had wished, Kinew said “I am committed to advocating for you, whether it’s on immigration matters or other concerns that affect the community… I’m also proud to share with you that I’m working hard to make progress on securing direct flights from Canada to Nigeria. That’s very important”. The Premier said while it was taking some time, “I believe, with persistence and hard work, we can make this a reality”.