Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has issued a stark warning that any move to reduce its statutory share of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) could seriously undermine aviation safety, weaken regulatory oversight, and expose air travellers to significant risks. The warning comes amid a proposal currently before the National Assembly seeking to amend the existing revenue-sharing structure in favour of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, the NCAA's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, described the proposed amendment as unnecessary and potentially dangerous. He argued that cutting the authority's allocation would cripple its ability to carry out critical safety oversight functions and maintain the high level of regulatory standards that have kept Nigeria's aviation industry safe in recent years. "The reason planes are not falling from the sky today under this administration, unlike in the past, is because of the NCAA," Achimugu said.
Under the Civil Aviation Act, the NCAA collects the five per cent TSC and remits statutory portions to NAMA, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). Achimugu explained that while the NCAA was originally intended to be funded by the Federal Government because of its safety regulatory role, the introduction of the TSC was designed to ease that burden. However, the authority still shares its allocation with other aviation agencies, and the Federal Government already makes deductions from its share before it is received.
He emphasised that any further reduction in the NCAA's funding would impair its capacity to carry out essential regulatory activities, including the certification of airlines and airports, safety inspections, personnel training, and enforcement of aviation regulations. Achimugu stressed that regulatory inspectors must possess higher technical competence than the operators they supervise to effectively enforce safety standards. "If inspectors do not possess superior technical knowledge, they cannot effectively enforce safety standards," he stated.
The NCAA spokesperson also argued that NAMA, by law, was established as a self-sustaining agency, and should therefore focus on developing its own independent revenue streams rather than seeking a larger share of the NCAA's statutory allocation. He noted that aviation experts have observed that in countries where air navigation service providers have been commercialised or privatised, such agencies are largely self-funded and not dependent on government allocations.
Achimugu credited the NCAA's regulatory oversight for Nigeria's strong performance in international aviation safety and security audits, as well as improvements in passenger rights protection. "The reason Nigeria continues to excel in safety and security audits is because of the NCAA. The reason passengers' rights are better protected today is because of the NCAA," he said. He warned that weakening the regulator's finances would have direct implications for aviation safety, adding: "The NCAA needs more funding, not less. We are a cost-recovery agency, not a revenue-generating one. Proper funding ensures inspectors remain well-trained and adequately remunerated, reducing the risk of compromise and protecting the flying public".
Achimugu also dismissed reports that the NCAA was indebted to NAMA, clarifying that statutory remittances from the TSC are processed directly by the Central Bank of Nigeria, not by the authority. "The NCAA does not make remittances directly to the agency. The CBN does so. From our checks, the remittances were being processed. So, the issue of NCAA owing anybody does not arise," he said. He disclosed that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has already intervened to mediate the disagreement among the aviation agencies over the proposed amendment, and appealed to stakeholders to refrain from making inflammatory public statements while discussions are ongoing.
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