by E K Bensah Jr, in Lome
SAATM Media
They say good things come in threes!
A historic precedent was set yesterday at the opening of the first-ever Air Convention and Expo when two sitting Presidents – from West and East Africa – and a former President hit aviation headlines with a stentorian roar to change the face of Africa’s aviation.
When President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo walked into the main hall with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, it wasn’t just symbolic; it was fitting for the moment.
Here was the AU’s Champion for SAATM in Togo flanked by his equally high-level counterpart from Rwanda who was also present in 2018 when SAATM was launched.
Even more fitting was the point that Rwanda had developed a nine point Communique, the Kigali Communique, back in September 2025 to underscore the importance of SAATM.
Core objectives of the Communique include accelerated integration; market competitiveness; institutional strengthening and continental prioritization.The communique pushes for the full domestication of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) and SAATM provisions into national legislation and Air Services Agreements.
With regard to market competitiveness, it calls for the removal of unfair restrictions on traffic rights and the reduction of excessive taxes, fees, and charges that hinder affordability and market competitiveness.
It also calls for the strengthening of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) as the executing agency for SAATM through sustainable funding and political backing.
Finally, it backs the designation of SAATM as the African Union (AU) Theme of the Year for 2027 to elevate air transport integration to the highest political level.
For Togo’s part, the President was emphatic in explaining that the Single African Sky is not only just about routes, but about mobility; trade; and regional integration.
For Togo, a more connected Africa can work better together, and opening the African Sky is meaningless if visas are complex; and airfares are expensive.
At the end of the day, aviation is infrastructure, so it is important to invest in it.President Gnassingbe called for the necessity of modern airports; and reliable systems that can attract employment for our youth.
Former President Obasanjo of Nigeria addressed the opening ceremony with a hard-hitting message that included six important points.
First, Africa must fully implement the Single African Air Transport Market. In his view, “we must stop considering SAATM as merely a ceremonial commitment.”
For him, it has to “become operational within our bilateral air services agreements, route approvals, competition rules, consumer protection systems, and the treatment of African airlines.”
Secondly, we must commit to reducing the “cost of air travel in Africa. Taxes, charges, and fees that make air tickets unaffordable are not revenue strategies; they are barriers to growth.”
Obasanjo believes it is ludicrous that “a passenger who cannot afford to fly generates no tax, no trade, no tourism, and no opportunity. Governments should reconsider the overall cost burden on African aviation.”
Third, “we must connect aviation directly to AfCFTA implementation.” At a time the AfCFTA is in its fifth year, Obasanjo believes “every trade corridor should have a plan for air connectivity.”, and that “every tourism strategy should include an air access plan.”
He continues “Every regional value chain should ask: how do people, goods, and services move more quickly, cheaply, and reliably?”
Fourth, “we must mobilise serious financing for aviation infrastructure.” For his part, “airports, air navigation systems, cargo terminals, maintenance facilities, digital border systems, and climate-resilient infrastructure require long-term capital. DFIs and technical partners must work with African governments to prepare bankable projects, not endless wish lists.”
His fifth point centres on mobility, which he believes must be “easier for Africans. Visa restrictions, slow border procedures, and weak facilitation systems undermine the very integration we support.”
Crucially, “API, PNR, digital identity, risk-based security, and Annex 9-compliant facilitation should become standard across the continent.”
Finally, “our airlines must also do their part. They must cooperate more, compete fairly, improve reliability, strengthen governance, and build partnerships that serve African consumers.” Obasanjo is emphatic that “Governments can open the skies, but airlines must use those skies responsibly.”
Organised by the Dakar-based AU agency responsible for civil aviation — the African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC) – that has been fast-tracking the Agenda 2063 flagship project of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the meeting is under the patronage of Togolese President H E Faure Gnassingbe, and supported by AfCFTA Secretariat; and AUDA NEPAD.
Topics include accelerating the implementation of SAATM; reducing the cost of air transport in Africa; Air Cargo & Corridor-based route development.Other important topics include seamless mobility & air transport facilitation; financial sustainability; environmental sustainability; safety, security; and capacity.
Finally, issues around capacity-building in the wake of competition from Gulf Carriers will loom large with an important session focusing on women, youth and skills development in aviation.One of the outcomes of the Lome meeting will be a declaration on taxes, charges and fees (TCFs), and other commitments to strengthening Africa’s aviation.
Crucially, outcomes of Lome will feed into a roadmap for 2027 when the AU dedicates a year-long theme on SAATM and Technology.
