Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Thursday in Abuja, sought a stronger collaboration between the aviation regulatory authorities and the judiciary to enhance safety, accountability, and justice in the Nigerian aviation sector. Keyamo said this at the NCAA judges conference 2025, themed, “The role of Judges in Sustaining Nigerian’s Adherence to Applicable International Conventions in Relation to Carriage by Air.”
He disclosed that the gathering was a meeting of minds at the crossroads of law, policy, and international civil aviation.
The minister stated that the event was an intersection that defined how the countries protected lives, resolved disputes, and maintained confidence in the skies.
He said aviation, by its nature, was an international enterprise.
The minister expressed his deep appreciation to Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi SAN; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun JSC; and President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, for approving the participation of distinguished Justices of both courts and other members of the judiciary at the event.
He stated, “Presence, my lords, lends weight and credibility to this dialogue.”
Keyamo, in his keynote address, said, “When a court interprets a provision of international conventions, it is not merely resolving a dispute, it is sending a signal to the world about how Nigeria honours its commitments under international law. That is why this engagement is so important.”
He explained that as aircraft cross-bordered daily, obligations and liabilities often followed them, as provided for in several civil aviation treaties that Nigeria was signatory to.
Keyamo stated, “This means that our judges, more than most professionals, bear the task of interpreting treaties and conventions in ways that reflect both our national interest and our international obligations.
“My lords, you are therefore partners in shaping Nigeria’s reputation in the global civil aviation community. In the years since the ratification of the Montreal convention, our courts have been called upon to determine questions of jurisdiction, the measure of damages, and the limits of liability.
“Some of those judgments have clarified grey areas; others have sparked fresh debates. That is healthy for the evolution of our legal system.
“The theme of this conference, ‘Defining the Frontiers of the Montreal Convention: The View of the Nigerian Courts,’ is therefore both timely and necessary and ministry’s goal is to have a system that commands trust, from passengers, investors, and international partners, built on three pillars of safety, accountability, and justice.”
He said, “While the text of the convention may be uniform across jurisdictions, its effectiveness in practice depends on the depth and clarity of judicial reasoning that interprets and applies its pillars of trust.
“As we continue to implement reforms in the aviation sector, our efforts are strengthened when the judiciary and the regulators collaborate effectively to uphold shared goals.
“To this I asked the NCAA to continue to uphold the first two pillars, it behoves on the judiciary to ensure justice delivery in the aviation industry and when passengers or operators believe they will receive fair hearing and reasoned justice, confidence grows. And with confidence, comes investment.”
Fagbemi, represented by Gladys Odegbaro (Director, Solicitor Department) Federal Ministry of Justice, told the judges that defining the frontiers of the Montreal Convention was not a static exercise.
He said it required judicial clarity on the convention’s scope and limits, regulatory alignment with international best practices, collaborative engagement between judges, regulators and carriers.
He said when Nigeria signed the Montreal Convention, she made a solemn pledge to the international community and its citizens.
“That pledge was to ensure that the rights of passengers, obligations of carriers and the standards of safety and accountability in international aviation, will be held with integrity,” he assured.
He urged the judges to continue to apply the convention with empathy ensuring Nigeria remains a beacon of global excellence in aviation law.
Welcoming participants at the conference, the Director-General, Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, said the law, when interpreted with clarity and purpose, became the foundation upon which safety, fairness, and trust were built in aviation.
He said Nigeria’s obligations under key instruments such as the Convention on International Civil Aviation of 1944 and the Montreal Convention of 1999 reflected the nation’s dedication to international best practices.
He stated, “Conventions achieve their true force only when upheld in our courts, and this is where the critical role of the judiciary comes in. Through their judgments, our judges interpret not just the letter of the law, but its spirit and intent, thereby balancing the interests of passengers, operators, regulators and the state.
“At NCAA, we remain committed to continuous alignment with international standards, robust oversight, and transparent governance. We are however mindful that regulation alone is not enough.
“The judiciary’s wisdom gives permanence and legitimacy to every effort we make to uphold the rule of law in aviation.”
Kasim Sumaina
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