Ondo Aircraft Crash: Keyamo, Air Chief Agree on Safety Collaboration

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, have agreed to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria’s civil and military aviation authorities following the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State.

The agreement was reached on Wednesday when Keyamo visited Aneke to condole with the Nigerian Air Force over the tragedy.

The minister said the incident had highlighted the need to bridge the traditional gap between civil and military aviation, stressing that aviation accidents affect the country regardless of whether the aircraft involved is civilian or military.

Keyamo disclosed that he had facilitated direct communication between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Chief of Air Staff to improve cooperation between the two institutions.

He said a joint committee involving the NCAA and the Nigerian Air Force would be established to strengthen collaboration in areas including airworthiness, certification, training and capacity building.

The minister also noted that the Air Force already makes use of elements of Nigeria’s civil aviation infrastructure, particularly air traffic control services, making closer cooperation important for improving safety.

“We have decided that we will cooperate in terms of capacity building,” Keyamo said, adding that NAF personnel could also benefit from relevant training programmes undertaken by civil aviation authorities.

Aneke welcomed the initiative, saying both institutions had agreed to develop a framework that would allow expertise to be shared between the civil and military aviation sectors.

He said the objective was to raise standards across the aviation industry while ensuring that personnel from both sectors could contribute their knowledge and experience where necessary.

“We have both agreed that we need to move the aviation industry, whether military or civil, to a higher level,” the Chief of Air Staff said.

The collaboration comes two days after an NAF ATR-42 aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, while travelling from Benin to Lagos.

Initial information from the Ministry of Aviation indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard, although subsequent reports from the Air Force gave a different figure.

The crash has prompted calls for stronger aviation safety measures, while President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Keyamo said the new partnership would respect the statutory responsibilities of both institutions while promoting greater technical cooperation and knowledge sharing to protect Nigerian lives.