When more than 950 aviation leaders, Heads of State, Ministers, Directors-General of Civil Aviation, regulators, airline executives, airport operators, investors and development partners gathered in Lomé for the inaugural African Air Transport Convention & Expo, the focus was understandably on the decisions that would shape the future of African aviation.
The adoption of the Lomé Declaration and its Implementation Matrix signalled more than the successful conclusion of a landmark gathering. It reflected a growing commitment across the continent to move from ambition to implementation, accelerating the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and strengthening aviation’s role in Africa’s economic integration.
Behind that momentum is a new generation of African leaders working to transform aviation from a sector into a strategic driver of development. Among them is Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), whose leadership has increasingly focused on building the partnerships, policy alignment and institutional collaboration needed to make a connected Africa a reality.
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