Dr Sidi Ould Tah (right), president of the African Development Bank Group, chaired the meeting.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has unveiled a $7 billion program to modernize Africa’s aviation sector, drawing support from governments, investors, development finance institutions and private sector leaders.
The initiative, known as the Integrated Aviation Transformation Program (IATP), was presented during the AfDB’s 2026 Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on June 2 as part of a broader strategy to mobilize capital, reduce financing risks and accelerate infrastructure development across the continent.
Over the next five years, the program will fund fleet modernization, airport upgrades, logistics improvements and airport transport integration.
AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah said Africa requires “stronger airlines and better connectivity” to support regional integration and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Africa also needs airlines capable of connecting the entire continent, strengthening regional integration, and supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area,” Tah said.
According to Mike Salawou, director of infrastructure and urban development at the AfDB, only 19% of flights within Africa are currently operated by African regional or national airlines, highlighting the continent’s dependence on foreign carriers. He added that inefficiencies in Africa’s air transport system cost the continent between $50 billion and $100 billion annually. A significant boost for the program came from Japan, which pledged $10 million to the IATP’s Risk-Sharing Facility. The contribution is expected to help African airlines reduce financing risks linked to aircraft acquisition and leasing.
Salawou described the initiative as “more than an aviation project,” calling it a continental connectivity platform designed to strengthen regional trade, logistics and economic resilience.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced the signing of the first National Compact under the IATP framework, while calling for expanded aircraft leasing solutions to help African airlines access modern fleets.
Officials from Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea and Tanzania also voiced support for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of coordinated financing mechanisms, risk mitigation and stronger partnerships between governments and private investors.
The aviation program was unveiled alongside the African Medical Equipment and Medicines Facility (AMEF), another AfDB-backed platform designed to improve access to medicines and healthcare equipment through innovative financing structures.
“Airplanes transport passengers as well as medicines, vaccines and strategic equipment, and create economic opportunities,” Salawou said, adding that improved aviation connectivity would also support health systems and crisis response across Africa.
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