What Has Capt. Chris Najomo Done In NCAA?

About twelve months ago, Capt. Chris Najomo was appointed as Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

On assumption of office, Najomo-led NCAA in January 2024 as part of measures to recover the huge debt it was being owed by airlines, declared a ‘no pay, no service’ sanction on defaulting airlines, thereby compelling debtor airlines to commence payment of their debt. This measure was to help the regulatory body’s finance.

In 2024, Najomo saw to initiation of a safety and economic audit of all private jet operations in Nigeria. Private jet operators were given 72 hours to submit relevant documents for re-evaluation by NCAA. This followed the high prevalence of illegal operations by private jet owners holding a Permit For Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF). The permit forbids the owners from using their aircraft for hire and reward.

The intention was to prevent the loss of revenue in addition to exposing the passengers to risk since the aircraft does not possess comprehensive insurance in the event of an accident or incident. “To further sanitize the general aviation sector, I have directed a re-evaluation of all holders of PNCF to be carried out on or before the 19th of April, 2024 to ascertain compliance with regulatory requirements,” Najomo said. Eventually, several violators were suspended and NCAA officials were deployed to General Aviation Terminals (GAT) and private wings of the airports to monitor activities of the PNCF holders.”

As Acting Director General of NCAA, Najomo has been involved in encouraging young people who are aspiring to pursue careers in aviation. At a young aviation career interest programme in October 2024, he counseled young people from different states of Nigeria on how to go about their dreams of becoming professionals in aviation and pledged to assist them by approaching their state governors on scholarship awards possibilities.

Chris Najomo has been effective on stakeholder engagements in taking decisions affecting the industry. Several stakeholder meetings, workshops, seminars and enlightenment programmes have been held in the industry in the past one year, with Najomo presiding. Strategic collaborative meetings have also been held with various organizations including International Air Transport Association (IATA).

There have been aggressive public enlightenment programmes, including roadshows under Najomo’s leadership. This is courtesy of the support enjoyed from his Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Mike Achimugu, who introduced the Face of Aviation Consumer Protection (FACP) to encourage creativity, passion, dedication to duty and excellence by the staff. The crown is for the period of one year, after which, another face will emerge.

It is also part of the rebranding exercise of the Consumer Protection Department, and the Consumer Protection Officers (CPOs), who are the frontline staff of the Authority that interfaces with passengers on a daily basis and feature the launch of a new dress code.

This Directorate was headed by Najomo before his appointment as Acting Director General of NCAA. Other things Najomo has ensured as Acting Director General in one year include  liberalizing the registration and issuance of certificates for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, (UAVs) and drones, restarting audit-compliant airlines like Max Air, achieving an excellent result in the ICAO security audit and Industrial Peace.

Worker’s welfare has been given a priority in NCAA under Najomo’s watch according to Chairman, NCAA Branch of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Remi Aderinkomi, who emphasized that Najomo has fostered a culture of collaboration and understanding between management and workers, leading to increased productivity and efficiency. He said Capt. Najomo’s leadership style is characterized by his ability to listen to the concerns of workers and take concrete steps to address them, adding that his commitment to the welfare of staff is evident in the numerous initiatives he has undertaken to improve their working conditions.

On workers welfare, he said NCAA workers are happy because of the payment of rent arrears, continuation of the wage award and improvement in the welfare of contract staff. Others he said are, increment of contract staff salary through the implementation of the Conditions of Service, CoS, resolution of promotion issues, backlog of rent and allowance, and continuous payment of wage award Payment of 2024 housing allowance.

Comrade Diepreye Stephen, Chairman, National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE), NCAA, commended Najomo for his open door policy and for making staff welfare his priority.

The Federal Ministry of Aviation & Aerospace Development described the setting up of a dedicated Unmanned Aircraft Systems unit by the Najomo led NCAA as visionary and one that will aid and accelerate the country’s quest to control and coordinate the increasing numbers of the use of the technology in Nigeria.

The Minister, Festus Keyamo (SAN) who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole who toured the NCAA drone portal and declared open the UAS Integration Unit at the NCAA’s headquarter Annex in Lagos as part of his activities at the 4th Drone Texc Conference and Exhibition held in Lagos, called for collaborations with key stakeholders and leveraging the use of technology in order to achieve the vision of the unit, as he commended the vision of the Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo.

“The most important thing in all these is that you have a visionary leader at NCAA who is driving all these things,” he said, adding that “No matter the kind of support the minister gives, you need visionary leadership to ensure that we succeed.”

The Regional Manager, Lagos of the NCAA, Bukola Teriba Esq. said: “For us here, we will not forget to thank the Director General whose bold initiatives it was to take up that singular task of identifying and has set up a dedicated drone desk in the agency.”

She added that “His predecessors have been pulling inspectors from different units or directorates. Most times, these inspectors were also saddled with other responsibilities from the demanding aviation systems and dedicating little or no time for the UAS integration project. For the Director General himself, he took the bull by the horns and answered the clarion calls from operators especially looking at the overwhelming applications that we have received over time.

“He must be strongly commended for setting up a dedicated desk to anchor all the UAS industry applications and requests. Another is the strong will to make work very well and function. The Director General is still very supportive of the unit.”

On her part, NCAA Assistant General Manager, Licensing and UAS representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Panel, Collette Onyeulo disclosed that the CAA is better positioned and well equipped now to address all the expectations of requests from different users who wish to obtain licenses for drone operations.

It was under Capt Chris Najomo’s watch as Acting Director General, Civil Aviation, that the NCAA Consumer Protection Portal was built and launched to solve real-time passenger complaints against airlines. It was part of a fulfillment of Najomo’s action points for 2024, which speaks to the ease of doing business environment that the NCAA is consciously creating.

“There has never been a consumer protection portal in the NCAA,” said Achimugu at the launch, stating that the portal had made the job easier for the 260 CPOs across all the airports in Nigeria.

The Assistant General Manager, Consumer Protection, Mrs. Ifueko Abdulmalik said the portal is in line with NCAA’s automation of its processes amid reforms, which have taken place under Chris Najomo as Acting Director General, adding that the portal is DG’s desire to automate the processes at NCAA in line with international standards.

Najomo said the “initiative represents a significant step in our commitment to safeguard the rights and interests of aviation consumers across our nation”

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has described the safety of the Nigerian aviation sector as commendable and affirmed that the feat is hinged on the foresight and leadership qualities of the current management led by the Acting Director General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo.

The Governor, who made the commendation when he paid a courtesy visit to the DGCA in Abuja said the country has witnessed tremendous improvement and development in key areas of the aviation sector since the assumption of office of Capt. Chris Najomo and asserted that the Ag. DGCA has ensured improved compliance with flight regulations and safety issues.

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, NCAA issued certificate of accreditation to the Aerodrome Emergency Training School of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria as provider of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) training in Nigeria.

The award ceremony, in line with Acting Director General Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo’s mantra of ease of doing business without compromising standards and safety, was performed at the Authority’s corporate Headquarters, Abuja.

It is worthy to note that the accreditation of ARFF training by NCAA, which is the first time to be conducted in Nigeria, will enhance safety and standardization of ARFF training across the industry.

The benefits of the accreditation to NCAA, the Aviation industry and the nation at large, include enhanced safety and standardization of ARFF training across the industry; strengthened reputation for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT); and increased regulatory compliance.

While receiving the certificate, the Acting Rector of the college, Mr. Joseph Imalighwe thanked the Ag. DGCA for his sterling leadership and effective oversight of the industry since assumption of office.

Under Najomo’s service as Acting Director General, NCAA, two international airports in Nigeria were recertified after five years of expiration of certificates. Presenting the renewal certificates to Managing Director/Chief Executive of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Najomo said the renewal of the Aerodrome Certificate for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA), marks the first phase of the CAAs action plan for the certification of the aerodromes.

NCAA’s Regional Office accommodation in Port Harcourt that had been abandoned for two decades was completed and commissioned by Capt. Chris Najomo at the Port Harcourt International Airport in December 2024. The project which began in 2002 remained at carcass level but it took Capt. Najomo less than a year to complete and commission it. The Regional Manager, NCAA PH Regional Office, Mr. Oladipo Adebisi Titus said the project which started over 20 years ago was looking like it was never going to be completed.

The office  oversees operations at key Airports and Airstrips in the region including Port Harcourt, Bayelsa, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Asaba, Anambra, Imo, Calabar, and Warri.

Najomo also commissioned the Kano Regional Office in December 2024, with a promise to build a befitting regional office in Enugu. The staff of these offices say the commissioned offices will build staff morale and improve confidence of NCAA staff, which the absence of the offices had affected.

Following the signing of the Cape Town Convention Practice Directions, Najomo-led NCAA collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Aviation to host a one day conference with the theme ‘Conference on Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and the Protocol on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment’ at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja. This was to further educate stakeholders on benefits, features and objectives of CTC. To support the Honourable Minister’s efforts, the NCAA issued an Advisory Circular dated October 16, 2024 to provide information and guidance on the civil aviation regulatory requirements and procedures for recording and cancelation of de-registration of aircraft and exporting aircraft, including aircraft objects located in Nigeria, for purposes of any export remedies.”

Najomo commended the vision of the President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), for their visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to the growth of the sector, adding that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda prioritizes economic development, innovation, and global competitiveness.