IATA's Adeyemi appointed to AFCAC's top job

She succeeds Tefera Mekonnen Tefera who stepped down from the role in January. She is currently IATA’s director, external affairs and sustainability for the Africa region. The announcement was made at this week’s AFCAC plenary in Dakar, Senegal.

Adeyami said her objective is to build on the progress already made by previous Secretaries General and teams of AFCAC to see a new dawn for change through positive action for AFCAC and African aviation. “The vision for African aviation is to enable a fully connected, prosperous and united Africa,” she said. “We have made so much progress and we must stay the course and build on current momentum to strengthen existing partnerships and create new mutually beneficial relationships. We are stronger together and I am fully committed to collaboration, multilateralism and fostering cooperation with all States, partners and relevant stakeholders to move African aviation forward.”

Up until her appointment, Adeyemi has been the IATA focal point for the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and a Private Sector Champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), two strategic policy initiatives of the African Union. Before joining IATA she was company secretary and general counsel at Virgin Nigeria Airways. 

“We must all work together to tackle the challenges that African aviation has faced and harness the opportunities that abound to translate Africa’s aviation potential into reality. The time is now. Africa must fully connect, for its own survival and prosperity. Civil aviation must continue to focus on its core areas and also work much closer with the tourism and trade sectors. This synergy, which must be intentional, will ensure that African aviation survives, grows and thrives for the benefit of Africa and its citizens”, Adeyemi said.