AM EDITORIAL: Civil Aviation In Nigeria: One Year After Centenary Celebrations

Today, November 1, 2026, civil aviation is 101 years old in Nigeria. The journey started when the first aircraft to ever land in Nigerian soil landed on November 1, 1925.

On December 1, 2025, a centenary celebration was held at Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Center, Abuja and 47 veterans and professionals who had served the country meritoriously over the years, were honoured in an event jointly hosted by the Federal Ministry of Aviation & Aerospace Development and Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI).

On the next phase of the country’s civil aviation journey, the Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) said “the big elephant in the room is infrastructure. We need to convert our major gateways to proper hubs where you can fly in and out through airport processing without even entering the country. We need proper infrastructure to assist our airlines in achieving that. Without infrastructure, they cannot grow.”

“The second thing we will do is to empower the airlines to have access to credit, access to finance, and access to aircraft leasing.”

Since after the centenary celebrations, measures have been taken to speed up construction of the new Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, even as temporary facilities for use by the existing old terminal  occupants, pending completion of the new terminal was completed in March 2026.

The construction of a new headquarters of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has been flagged off. The Gateway International Airport in Ogun State was commissioned in April, 2026 as operations commenced.

The federal government released 60% of approved N46 billion for runways of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. Upgrades have been done at Port-Harcourt Airport, Owerri Airport and some others.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has signed a deal with MTN Nigeria to enable free Wifi use at the airports by users even as hybrid access gate payments system has commenced at airports under technological upgrade programme.

Private sector investors like Sahco Plc and Nahcoaviance have within the last one year, acquired modern equipment for handling services while in-flight catering service providers like Things Remembered has commissioned a new facility in Abuja.

Efforts have been made to strengthen local airlines in Nigeria. Minister Keyamo in April, got President Ahmed Tinubu to approve a 30% waiver on airlines’ debt to aviation agencies. As at September 2026 however, spokesman for airline operators, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo said at the Conference organized by League of Airports & Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) that the directive had not been implemented as they were told the directive was yet to be gazetted.

Nigeria hosted Nigeria Aircraft Acquisition Investment Summit (NAAIS) in Lagos in March, bringing aircraft manufacturers together with airlines for discussions on fleet modernization. Apart from holding engagements with OEMs, Afreximbank, aircraft manufacturers and financial institutions, Minister Keyamo in May, showcased Nigeria’s aviation financing reforms at Aviation Working Group Meeting, encouraging their support for Nigerian airlines. Consequently, new aircraft deliveries have been made within the last one year. Above all, the Nigeria Leasing Company has been launched.

Stakeholders were at the National Assembly to advocate review of the aged 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) paid by passengers as part of purchased tickets and remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The regulatory agency was also at the legislature to advocate for improvement of its revenue allocation.

On industry disputes, the 19-year old dispute between the federal government and Bi-courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport2 terminal, was resolved when on October 20, 2026, an agreement was signed by Minister Keyamo and BASL Chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin in Abuja.

Aviation unions in June, withdrew their case against government on airports concession and signed an agreement with the concessionaire of Enugu Airport right before the Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development.

Thousands of workers of liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited have been paid their entitlements after over 22 years. This followed protracted agitations that intensified after the centenary celebrations where the issue was thrown up again.

A number of challenges have occurred in Nigeria’s aviation industry after the centenary celebrations a year ago. A session of Murtala Muhammed International Airport was burnt in a fire incident that occurred in March.

The crash of Enugu Air at Benin Airport in August dropped a spot on safety record, in the same month that recorded delays in 59.9% of all Nigeria’s domestic flights and 36 flight cancellations.

Also, there was severe picketing and flight disruptions by aviation unions on August 11 over the 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) remittance dispute and unions’ demand for airlines to allow their staff enlist in the unions.

In October 2026, various aviation unions wrote a joint letter to the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police and the Directorate of State Security Services, requesting that the August 11 disruption be investigated, as they accused Air Peace of deep involvement in the disruption.

There was a serious controversy before the National Assembly aviation committees regarding review of the TSC which airline operators had been advocating. Aviation unions alleged that the non-remittance of the TSC to NCAA had affected the agency’s capacity to address staff welfare needs. This contributed to unions’ protests.

Overall, developmental progress has obviously been made since after the centenary celebration of civil aviation in Nigeria but the minuses recorded in one year needs to be given appropriate attention.AM