Nigeria-Belgium BASA, Reopening an Economic Corridor After Three Decades, By Collins Nweke

The renewed effort to conclude the long-delayed Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and Belgium offers a useful case study in the relationship between connectivity and economic diplomacy. Direct air services would reduce the time, cost and logistical constraints currently borne by business travellers, exporters, students, tourists and diaspora communities who must transit through third-country hubs.

In this OpEd, Collins Nweke examines the commercial opportunities lost during nearly three decades without direct flights and the wider benefits that could follow the restoration of the Lagos–Brussels corridor. He argues that the value of the agreement should be assessed beyond passenger traffic, through its potential impact on trade, investment, cargo movement, education, tourism, employment and institutional cooperation.

The article also highlights the sustained engagement among government officials, diplomats, business organisations and diaspora networks that helped return aviation connectivity to the bilateral agenda. Its broader message is that economic diplomacy produces measurable value when it is connected to practical national priorities and supported by patient institutional collaboration.

For many people, the recent announcement that Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has moved to conclude the long-delayed Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Belgium before the departure of Belgium’s Ambassador, Pieter Leenknegt, may appear to be little more than another government announcement. It is, in fact, much more than that. If successfully concluded, it will mark the reopening of an economic corridor that has remained partially closed for nearly three decades.

Aircraft carry passengers. But direct air routes carry something even more valuable: confidence. They signal that two nations expect greater commerce, stronger investment, deeper tourism, richer educational exchanges and closer diplomatic engagement. In that sense, the renewed momentum behind direct Nigeria–Belgium flights represent not merely an aviation achievement, but a quiet triumph of economic diplomacy. The significance of this moment extends far beyond the aviation industry.

When the Flights Stopped

There was a time when travelling directly between Nigeria and Belgium required neither lengthy layovers nor circuitous routes through other European capitals. Belgium’s national carrier, Sabena, maintained regular services linking Brussels with West Africa, especially Nigeria.

The interruption of those services was not caused by deteriorating relations between the two countries. Rather, it reflected profound changes within the European aviation industry itself. Sabena’s collapse at the beginning of this century, following the wider crisis surrounding Swissair, fundamentally altered Belgium’s aviation landscape.

Subsequently, Belgium’s aviation framework became increasingly integrated into the European Union’s common aviation regime. The traditional assumptions upon which many Bilateral Air Services Agreements had been negotiated no longer applied. New legal realities, ownership rules and regulatory frameworks required fresh negotiations rather than simple renewal of existing arrangements.

Those technical complexities were real. Yet technical complexity alone cannot explain why almost three decades passed without restoring direct connectivity between two longstanding economic partners. The larger explanation lies elsewhere. Sometimes, international opportunities simply wait for political attention.

The Hidden Cost of Indirect Connectivity

Economists often describe transport infrastructure as an enabler of economic activity. Aviation belongs squarely within that category. Every additional transit point represents an additional transaction cost. Business executives lose productive hours. Perishable exports lose valuable time. Cargo handling becomes more expensive. Investment missions become more cumbersome. Tourists choose destinations that are easier to reach. Students and families travel less frequently. Diaspora communities bear higher financial and emotional costs simply to remain connected with home.

Over the past three decades, travellers between Nigeria and Belgium have adapted by flying through Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Istanbul, Casablanca and other European hubs. Adaptation, however, should never be mistaken for efficiency. Every passenger transiting through another country represents value creation taking place somewhere else. Every connecting airport earns revenues that could have accrued directly to Brussels or Lagos. Every indirect cargo movement generates logistics income outside the bilateral corridor.

No economist can calculate with precision the cumulative opportunity cost of nearly three decades without direct flights. Yet it is entirely reasonable to conclude that the lost commercial opportunities run into billions of euros when measured across tourism, cargo, business travel, education, conferences, investment and associated economic activities. The real loss has never been measured simply in airline tickets sold. It has been measured in opportunities that never materialised.

Economic Diplomacy Behind Closed Doors

Successful diplomacy is often invisible. The public usually sees only the final handshake, the signed agreement or the ceremonial announcement. They seldom witness the years of relationship-building, technical discussions, institutional persuasion and patient bridge-building that precede those moments. That is precisely why this development carries particular personal significance for me.

Serving as International Trade Consultant to the Nigeria Belgium Luxembourg Business Forum, working closely with my friend and associate, Thomas De Beule, I have had the privilege of observing, from close quarters, how economic diplomacy works in practice. During the 2025 edition of the Forum in Brussels, our team deliberately prioritised aviation connectivity as part of the broader agenda of strengthening economic relations between Nigeria and the Belgium–Luxembourg business community. One practical outcome was facilitating a high-level meeting bringing together aviation officials from both countries.

The meeting did not produce instant headlines. Nor did anyone expect it to. Diplomacy rarely advances in dramatic leaps. More often, it progresses through carefully prepared conversations that gradually restore confidence and create political momentum. Looking back today, it is encouraging to see that those conversations formed part of the wider process now moving towards conclusion. Economic diplomacy, after all, is not merely about signing agreements. It is about creating the conditions under which agreements become possible.

Why Direct Flights Matter Again

Some may legitimately ask whether direct flights remain necessary in an era of extensive airline alliances and global connectivity. The answer is an unequivocal yes. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy by GDP and among the continent’s most significant sources of outbound business travel.

Belgium, despite its modest geographical size, occupies an outsized position within the global economy. Brussels hosts the institutions of the European Union, NATO headquarters and numerous international organisations. Antwerp remains one of the world’s leading logistics gateways and diamond trading centres, while Belgium continues to rank among Europe’s foremost pharmaceutical producers.

These complementary strengths create a natural economic corridor. For Nigerian exporters, direct air links mean faster access to European markets, especially for high-value agricultural produce, pharmaceuticals, specialised manufacturing and time-sensitive cargo. For Belgian businesses, improved connectivity enhances access to one of Africa’s largest consumer markets while reducing the friction associated with commercial engagement. For universities, cultural institutions, tourism operators and diaspora communities, the benefits are equally significant. Connectivity is rarely just about transport. It is about expanding the possibilities of cooperation.

Beyond Aviation

There is another lesson worth reflecting upon. For too long, many African countries have viewed diplomacy primarily through political and consular lenses. Increasingly, the diplomacy that creates the greatest value is economic diplomacy. It concerns investment, trade, infrastructure, innovation, education, technology, energy, and logistics. And yes, aviation.

The revival of negotiations surrounding the Nigeria–Belgium Bilateral Air Services Agreement illustrates what becomes possible when diplomacy is aligned with economic priorities. It also demonstrates that governments alone do not drive such outcomes. Progress often emerges through sustained collaboration among diplomats, public officials, business organisations, professional associations and diaspora networks acting as trusted bridges between nations. That collaborative model deserves greater recognition.

A Corridor of Opportunity

Should direct flights resume after these many years, both countries will rightly celebrate an aviation milestone. Yet history may ultimately judge this achievement differently. The real success will not be measured by the number of weekly flights operating between Brussels and Lagos. Nor by passenger numbers alone. It will be measured by the investments facilitated, the businesses created, the jobs supported, the exports expanded, the students exchanged, the tourists welcomed, and the relationships strengthened because distance became easier to overcome.

Sometimes, the shortest route between two cities becomes the longest bridge between two economies. The reopening of the Nigeria–Belgium air corridor would remind us that economic diplomacy is not an abstract theory. It is a practical instrument for national development. And when pursued patiently, collaboratively and strategically, it has the power to reconnect not only with airports, but also markets, institutions and people.

Perhaps that is why this story is ultimately about much more than an air route. It is about two nations choosing, once again, to move closer together.

About the AUTHOR

Collins NWEKE is an International Trade Consultant & Economic Diplomacy researcher. He was a former Green Councillor at Ostend City Council, Belgium, where he served three consecutive terms until December 2024. A first-generation migrant who transitioned from civil society activism into elected office, he writes frequently on democracy, governance, and Africa–Europe relations. He is the author of the book ‘Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora’. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the International Association of Research Scholars and Administrators, serving on its Governing Council. A columnist for The Brussels Times, Proshare, and Global Affairs Analyst with a host of media houses, Collins writes from Brussels, Belgium. X: @collinsnweke E: admin@collinsnweke.eu W: www.collinsnweke.eu