The re-election yesterday (Thursday, November 28) of Ms Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC), at the 35th Ordinary Plenary Session in Brazzaville, Congo, has been praised by the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, SAN, as a reflection of the “collective confidence of AfCAC member States in her visionary leadership and achievements.”
Adeyemi was reelected with 22 votes in favour and seven against.
Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed Adeyemi’s re-election in a statement signed by Mr Tunde Moshood, the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications.
Describing Adeyemi’s victory as a result of her strong backing among the sector stakeholders, the Minister added that such “strong backing” also stemmed from Adeyemi’s “visionary leadership and achievements”, which inspired “the collective confidence of AfCAC member States in her.”
Keyamo said his commitment to spearheading strategic diplomatic engagements with African Union Member-States to rally support for Adeyemi’s candidacy reinforced Nigeria’s influence in shaping the continent’s aviation future.
“This is not just a win for Nigeria but for the entire African aviation industry,” the Minister said.
“Adeyemi’s outstanding leadership and innovative vision have positioned AFCAC to deliver transformative progress across the continent.
“Nigeria remains committed to driving the goals of AfCAC and ensuring the realisation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
“To ensure transparency and fairness, an Election Commission was established under AfCAC’s Rules of Procedure for Plenary Meetings.”
According to him, the commission, comprising representatives from various African Union regions, upheld the rigorous process.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that AfCAC oversees civil aviation matters across the continent and serves as the executing body for the Yamassoukro Decision (YD) and as the specialised agency of the African Union.
AfCAC’s primary mandate includes implementing the Single African Air Transport Market, a vision uniting 37 member-states to enhance Africa’s aviation competitiveness and connectivity.
“Adeyemi’s re-election reaffirms her exceptional contributions to the Commission, particularly in fostering integration and sustainable growth in African aviation.
“Her tenure has been marked by groundbreaking initiatives aimed at enhancing air transport efficiency, safety, and collaboration across the continent,” Keyamo said.
He added that Adeyemi was poised to advance AfCAC’s objectives further, championing a robust, unified and competitive air transport system for Africa with the renewed mandate.
The minister explained that Adeyemi`s leadership ensured that AFCAC would remain in the forefront of driving transformative progress in the region’s aviation sector.
“This milestone represents a proud moment for Nigeria, underlining its unwavering commitment to strengthening Africa’s aviation ecosystem and fostering unity across the continent,” he added.
