Nigeria Issues Formal Apology to Burkina Faso Over Airspace Violation. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, conveyed an official apology to Burkina Faso on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, for a recent airspace violation by a Nigerian military aircraft.
The apology was delivered during a visit to Ouagadougou, where Tuggar met with Burkina Faso’s president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The incident, which has been previously condemned by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), involved a Nigerian military aircraft flying over Burkinabè airspace without proper authorization. “It is regrettable that there were irregularities in the documents, particularly with regard to authorisation to fly over Burkinabè airspace. This is unfortunate, and we apologise for this regrettable incident,” Tuggar stated.
Tuggar also discussed the case of a Nigerian political party leader who made disparaging comments about the incident, expressing that these comments were likely linked to a misunderstanding of the situation. He carried a message of “solidarity and brotherhood” from President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to Captain Ibrahim Traoré, praising Burkina Faso’s recent gains in the fight against terrorism.
The Nigerian foreign minister reaffirmed the shared determination of both countries to work more closely together to improve regional security.
“We discussed several issues related to the security of our region, in particular the fight against terrorism and how we must work together to combat this scourge,” he added.
Nigeria also commended the spirit of brotherhood shown by the Burkinabè authorities in their handling of the aircraft’s occupants, who remain on Burkinabè soil.
The apology comes as a significant step in mending relations between the two countries and underscores the commitment to regional security cooperation. Further details regarding the incident and the ongoing discussions between Nigeria and Burkina Faso are expected to be released in the coming days.
