The federal government, through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has inaugurated a seven member steering committee on Sustainable Aviation Fuel aimed at decarbonizing Nigeria’s aviation sector, alongside the presentation of key technical studies to guide its development.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo said sustainable aviation fuel offers one of the most practical paths toward reducing emissions while also stimulating investment, creating industries and jobs, and unlocking value across Nigeria’s agricultural, energy and industrial sectors. He said the country’s position as the world’s largest cassava producer, along with its agricultural residues, growing technical capacity and strategic location, positions it to become a major supplier of sustainable aviation fuel for Africa and beyond.

He said the feasibility study being handed over provides a technical assessment of Nigeria’s opportunities and challenges that will guide a national implementation programme, and stressed that the transition requires coordinated action across government, industry, academia and the private sector rather than any single institution acting alone.

Keyamo said the newly inaugurated steering committee will serve as a national governance platform responsible for strategic direction, coordinating implementation and overseeing delivery of the country’s sustainable aviation fuel programme, while a related commercial study will provide the investment analysis needed to attract both domestic and international backers. He said government understands its role in providing policy clarity, regulatory certainty and incentives to support the initiative. Committee membership includes the aviation minister, the ministers of innovation, agriculture and petroleum resources, the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the director general of the National Climate Change Council and the managing director of NNPC Energy Limited.