After almost five months of restricted air travel, Nigeria is set to open up for international flights on August 29th. The shutdown was in response to the global spread of the coronavirus that wreaked havoc across the globe. To date, Nigeria has a reported 49,068 cases, and 975 deaths.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, made the announcement on Monday that airports will reopen and they have a plan for extensive safety protocols that will help guard against the spread of the virus. The plan is for four flights daily in Lagos and four in Abuja – the busiest international airports in the country.
Nigeria opened up domestic travel on July 8th and there have been no confirmed transmissions from flights. There have been extensive measures to combat the spread by using masks, screening, hand sanitizers and social distancing.
Other African countries have already opened their airports to international travel, including Tanzania and Senegal. The opening of our airports to international is a good sign, and signal that Nigeria is open again for travel and perhaps some foreign investment in the Nigerian real estate sector.