The Nigerian government will establish a joint committee between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) covering airworthiness, certification, training and safety, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke agreed this week.

The announcement followed Keyamo's courtesy visit to Air Marshal Aneke at Nigeria Defence Headquarters, where the minister signed a condolences register after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed near Igbokoda, Ondo state, with 32 people on board.

What triggered the new cooperation framework?

The Igbokoda incident is the proximate cause of the engagement. Keyamo offered condolences to the Air Force leadership and used the occasion to argue that aviation tragedies do not distinguish between military and civilian operators.

"We value the Air Force. We value the efforts of the gallant men and women of the Air Force and what they do for the country," Keyamo said.

He added: "It is one country, one people. When disaster happens, it affects everybody. There were civilians in that air crash and when there's an air crash in the civil aviation too, there can be military personnel. And so, it is important that we cooperate in the area of safety."

Keyamo said the incident had further strengthened the need for closer cooperation and the sharing of expertise between the two sides.

What will the joint committee actually do?

According to Keyamo, the planned body will coordinate four workstreams:

• Airworthiness and certification alignment
• Joint training and capacity building
• Information sharing on safety matters
• Technical cooperation respecting each institution's statutory mandate

Keyamo disclosed that he had already contacted the NCAA Director-General and arranged direct communication between the NCAA leadership and the Chief of Air Staff. He described the proposed arrangement as a "cross-pollination and symbiotic relationship" intended "for the safety of the lives of Nigerians."

How will training be shared?

The minister confirmed that NCAA-run training programmes will be opened to selected Nigerian Air Force personnel. "There is no reason why we cannot take some names from the Air Force. We have a lot of training we go for, so there is no reason why we cannot," Keyamo said.

He also acknowledged that the Air Force holds specialised expertise of value to civil operators. Keyamo framed the arrangement as a two-way exchange rather than a one-way transfer of capability.

Air traffic control offers the clearest example of what already exists: Keyamo noted that the NAF already depends on civil aviation infrastructure and argued that the operational link should evolve into a structured partnership rather than remain an ad hoc arrangement.

What does the Air Force bring to the table?

Air Marshal Aneke disclosed that preliminary discussions on a cooperation framework were already under way before the minister's visit. He confirmed that NAF personnel would contribute to civil-sector airworthiness and certification work where requested.

"We have both agreed that we need to move the aviation industry, whether military or civil, to a higher level," Aneke said, adding: "We are serving the same government; we are protecting the same Nigerians. So we are just a blend of each other."

The arrangement mirrors the civilian contribution that the Air Force already receives in its own safety environment, according to Aneke. He welcomed the minister's offer of training access for NAF personnel, characterising the initiative as a way to strengthen capacity across the country's aviation system rather than a unilateral concession.

What stays out of scope?

Both officials stressed that the collaboration will respect the statutory mandates of the NCAA and the NAF. The meeting produced no timeline, budget or staffing detail for the new committee, and Keyamo did not identify which NCAA training courses Air Force personnel would join first.

Officials expect the framework to take shape through follow-up engagement between the NCAA Director-General's office and Air Force Headquarters. Training access for selected NAF personnel is the most likely first concrete deliverable, with airworthiness and certification alignment to follow once the joint committee is formally constituted.