NASS Public Hearing: Real Issue Is Sustainable Funding, Not Inter-Agency Competition

Yesterday’s public hearing convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation and Aerospace Technology at the National Assembly Complex provided an important platform for stakeholders to deliberate on the future financing of Nigeria’s aviation sector. While the engagement was commendable, one clear impression emerged: almost every agency appeared focused on justifying its quest for a larger share of available revenue, the labour unions largely defended their respective institutions, and many stakeholders aligned themselves with one agency or another.

While such advocacy is understandable, it is neither healthy nor productive for the long-term sustainability of the aviation industry. Aviation safety cannot be strengthened through competition among institutions that are constitutionally designed to complement one another. The real solution lies not in redistributing an already inadequate revenue pool, but in expanding the overall funding architecture of the sector.

NAMA’s request for an increased statutory share of the 5% Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charge (TSC) should not be viewed as an attempt to weaken the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Rather, it is a legitimate call to address a long-standing funding imbalance that threatens the sustainability of Nigeria’s air navigation services.

Air navigation services remain the backbone of aviation safety. Every flight depends on uninterrupted communication, navigation, surveillance, aeronautical information services, search and rescue coordination, and air traffic management provided by NAMA. These are safety-critical services that operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year, requiring continuous investment in technology, maintenance, personnel training, infrastructure renewal, and modernization.

The reality is that many of Nigeria’s Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) facilities, including components of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) system, are approaching technological obsolescence. At the same time, the costs of foreign exchange, specialised equipment, software licences, energy, spare parts, and technical manpower have risen significantly, while many navigation charges have remained virtually unchanged for nearly two decades. This has created a structural funding deficit that must be addressed if Nigeria is to maintain a safe, secure, and efficient air navigation system.

Importantly, the proposal before the National Assembly does not seek to increase the existing 5% Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charge or impose additional costs on passengers. Rather, it seeks to review the distribution of existing revenue in response to present-day operational realities.

Furthermore, the position advanced by both NAMA and NCAA is consistent with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services (Doc 9082), which encourage States to ensure that Air Navigation Service Providers recover the costs of providing safe, efficient, and sustainable services through appropriate user charges. ICAO also recommends that revenues generated from air navigation services should primarily be utilized for the provision, operation, maintenance, and development of those services.

Similarly, recognizing obstacle assessments and WGS-84 aeronautical surveys as chargeable technical services under an appropriate cost-recovery framework aligns with international best practices, as these highly specialised functions are predominantly executed by NAMA, while NCAA retains its essential regulatory oversight responsibilities.

However, strengthening NAMA must never come at the expense of NCAA’s statutory independence or its ability to perform effective safety oversight. International aviation safety is built upon two inseparable pillars: a strong and adequately funded Air Navigation Service Provider and a strong, independent, and adequately funded Civil Aviation Authority. Weakening either institution ultimately weakens the entire aviation safety system.

The Federal Government should therefore focus on creating a sustainable financing framework for the entire aviation sector by reviewing outdated navigation charges in line with prevailing economic realities and ICAO guidance; providing dedicated capital appropriations for strategic air navigation infrastructure; establishing an Aviation Infrastructure Renewal Fund; leveraging Public-Private Partnerships for non-core infrastructure; accessing multilateral development financing where appropriate; and implementing ICAO-compliant cost-recovery mechanisms that ensure aviation users contribute fairly to the cost of maintaining safe skies.

Such a comprehensive approach would eliminate unnecessary rivalry among critical aviation institutions and guarantee that both NAMA and NCAA remain financially capable of discharging their complementary statutory responsibilities.

Nigeria should never be placed in a position where it must choose between a strong regulator and a strong Air Navigation Service Provider. The country needs both.

Aircraft fly safely because NAMA provides the communication, navigation, surveillance, air traffic management, aeronautical information, and search-and-rescue coordination services that ensure the safe and orderly movement of aircraft. Equally, NCAA safeguards the system by independently regulating and overseeing NAMA, airlines, airports, maintenance organizations, and every other aviation service provider in accordance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

The future of Nigerian aviation will not be secured by transferring limited resources from one safety institution to another. It will be secured by building a sustainable funding architecture that guarantees the long-term financial stability, technological advancement, institutional independence, and operational effectiveness of every critical aviation agency.

Finally, this serves as a note of caution to all aviation stakeholders and labour unions. Advocacy should be guided by the collective interest of the industry rather than institutional loyalties. Every recommendation and every reform should be driven by one overriding objective: strengthening aviation safety, promoting sustainable growth, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring that Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem remains fully aligned with global best practices.

Only through collaboration not competition can we build a safer, stronger, and more sustainable aviation industry for future generations.

WRITTEN BY MR. YOMI AGORO, FORMER PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION