AM EDITORIAL: 2026: Leadership Task For Another Phase In Nigeria’s Civil Aviation History

Year 2026 begins today, near the take-off point of aviation industry’s journey into another 100 years, having marked a century on November 1, 2025.

After observing avoidable occurrences and mistakes of the past, the coming years leave Nigeria’s aviation sector leadership with herculean task of running the sector in an evidently safer and speedy manner as regards growth and development.

One obvious fact is that Nigeria’s aviation industry of today has a different shape from that of the past. This implies more responsibilities for the industry regulator and the Federal Ministry of Aviation & Aerospace Development.

There was oversight and regulation of only 21 federal government owned airports, some of which were not certified by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Today, there are four international airports that have been certified by NCAA. There are state-government-owned airports and some concessioned airports, among over 32 airports for regulatory and economic oversight. This is sure, a huge task.

This year, local airports some of which were granted temporary exemptions by the NCAA should be certified. Underestimation of risks at domestic terminals should cease. The N712 billion airports infrastructure projects, including the modernization project of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Terminal 1, Lagos has to be completed to partly phase out the infrastructure challenges that contribute to airlines’ woes there.

The signing of the Practice Directions for the Cape Town Convention and the IDERA is yielding results of orders placement for brand new aircraft, dry-leased planes by Nigeria’s local airlines. The arrival of more dry-leased aircraft for scheduled airlines in 2026 comes with the regulator’s task of over-sighting a diversity of fleet modernization programmes.

After the demise of Nigeria Airways, scheduled airline business was solely a private investor affair. Today, state governments are airline owners. So, Nigeria now has an industry where private airline owners would compete with state governments in airline business. In 2026 and beyond, NCAA may be required to process Air Operators’ Certificates (AOCs) for more state-government-owned airlines, amidst a task of ensuring healthy competition in the sector.

Completion of on-going Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) projects in-country, in 2026 should help to minimize operating costs for local airlines. Regulatory authorities would have to ensure that maintenance capacity of emerging facilities match the anticipated modern fleet for maximum overall economic benefits.

In 2026, aviation authorities must make deliberate efforts to avoid avoidable labour unrests in the sector. Payment of outstanding retirement benefits of defunct Nigeria Airways workers should be concluded. As promised by the Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), all labour issues must be settled before discussions on other terms for concession of airports that are being considered. Training of more air traffic controllers and a development of a progressive manpower succession plan for various agencies are critical necessities.

There were no aviation universities in the past. Today, there are two aviation universities. More are likely to emerge. This stretches the regulatory responsibilities of NCAA for aviation training in Nigeria, even as such institutions have to undergo supervisions from two agencies – Nigeria Universities Commission and NCAA, in line with existing laws. This is another emerging industry trend that ups regulatory task.

In 2026, the Directorate of Cargo Development Services of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would have to walk the much talked about sanitization of the airport cargo terminals in the country, seek to remove anti-import bureaucracies, expand the terminals and eliminate corrupt practices at cargo terminals. Remember! This is another century in Nigeria’s civil aviation history. Old ways should go.

In 2026, airlines and other players in Nigeria’s aviation industry should brace up for the new tax regime in the country. Particularly, airlines would have to either sustain dry-lease approach to aircraft acquisition or deal with the reality of prevailing double digit interest rate bank loans. Conversations expansion on the single-digit loans expectation, which Fidelity Bank Managing Director has said is impossible, is an option.

At the FAAN National Aviation Conference 2025, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Dr. Oyeali-Ikpe Nneka had said that in the interest of the country, the airlines need to borrow at single-digit rates but “commercial banks cannot lend at 9% from their balance sheets.” She explained that “if commercial banks attempt to provide single-digit interest rates from their balance sheets, the spread simply will not favour the bank,” adding that “it is impossible to lend at 9% when deposit cost is 20% as the assets are huge and banks face high deposit costs and cannot bridge that gap without increasing losses.”

A combination of specialized financing institutions, government support and innovative structures to keep the industry moving forward, is therefore, required in 2026 and the coming years.

In 2026, industry looks forward to an official public presentation of Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Masterplan (CAMP), which according to NCAA, already had a draft copy, 99% completed. It should henceforth serve as a strategic guide for the modernization, growth and sustainability of the sector.

2026 is a political electioneering campaign year. Industry leadership must proactively evolve measures to avoid compromise of airport security and safety standards, especially by Political Party Lords during campaigns. This is part of the huge task in 2026, even as compliance with rules on the issue of using private jets for commercial service is likely to arise again. We appeal that individuals who willfully violate aviation rules be punished in 2026 and beyond, to serve as deterrent to intending violators.

Although the NCAA has constraints in regulation of air fares as market forces of demand and supply determine fares, a lot of work needs to be done in 2026 to encourage interest in air travel because passenger traffic is a major factor in the sustenance of scheduled airlines and avoidance of airline mortality rate recorded in the last century.

In 2026, authorities must make data available to keep potential investors informed, attracted and to enable planning for growth and development.

From AVIATION MONITOR, we heartily wish Nigeria’s aviation industry a prosperous 2026. AM