By Tracy Moses
The House of Representatives on Thursday commenced a public hearing on proposed amendments to Nigeria’s aviation laws, with key stakeholders making competing demands over the sharing formula for the statutory five per cent Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charge (TSC).
While the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is seeking a substantial increase in its statutory allocation, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is pushing for the restoration of its previous share, and the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Abuja, is seeking to be recognised as a statutory beneficiary of the fund.
The hearing, organised by the House Committee on Aviation at the National Assembly, is considering amendments to the Civil Aviation Act and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (Establishment) Act. The proposed legislation seeks to revise the revenue-sharing formula, introduce automated remittance of statutory aviation charges and strengthen the financial framework of aviation agencies.
Declaring the hearing open, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, said the amendments were intended to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in the management of aviation revenues while strengthening institutions responsible for regulating and safeguarding Nigeria’s airspace.
According to Abbas, the bills also seek to provide for automated remittance of revenues accruing to aviation agencies, revise the existing revenue-sharing formula, reflect the renaming of the Accident Investigation Bureau as the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and review statutory charges accruing to NAMA.
He said the proposed reforms would ultimately enhance aviation safety, improve service delivery, boost investor confidence and support commerce, tourism and national development.
“I therefore encourage all stakeholders to be candid, precise and solution-driven in their submissions. We expect you not only to identify areas that may raise concern, but also to suggest practical alternatives that will help us realise our shared goals of safety, transparency, accountability and long-term sustainability,” Abbas said.
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, assured participants that every memorandum and presentation would receive fair and objective consideration before the committee submits its report to the House.
He said the proposed amendments have far-reaching implications for aviation safety, transparency and service delivery, stressing that the committee was committed to producing recommendations that reflect both the mandate of the House and the interests of stakeholders across the aviation industry.
“I assure you that the Committee will carefully and objectively consider all submissions and produce a report that reflects the mandate of the House and the best interests of all stakeholders in the aviation sector,” Garba said.
Making NAMA’s presentation, the agency’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar, urged lawmakers to increase the agency’s statutory share of the five per cent Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charge from 22 per cent to 56 per cent.
He argued that the current allocation no longer reflects the financial burden of maintaining Nigeria’s air navigation infrastructure and providing uninterrupted air traffic management services.
“I appear before you with respect for every institution supported by the five per cent Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charge. The regulator must be strong. Meteorological services must be dependable. Accident investigation must remain independent. Aviation training must be excellent. Our submission does not diminish any of these truths. It only asks that the law recognises, in a practical and sustainable way, the scale of responsibility placed upon NAMA,” Umar said.
He explained that NAMA currently receives only 22 per cent of the statutory pool—about ₦11 out of every ₦50 generated through the charge—and proposed that its allocation be increased to 56 per cent, equivalent to about ₦28 from the same amount.
“The five per cent charge itself will not increase. Passengers will not pay more. The amendment simply proposes a fairer distribution of the existing revenue pool to the infrastructure that safely guides aircraft across Nigerian airspace,” he added.
Umar said NAMA’s operating costs have risen sharply due to inflation, exchange rate volatility, escalating energy costs and increasing technology requirements, while Nigeria’s air navigation tariff has remained unchanged since 2008 despite rising operational expenses.
He also drew attention to the ageing Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) system, saying many of its components require urgent replacement and modernisation.
In addition, the NAMA boss sought statutory recognition of the agency’s technical responsibility for obstacle evaluation and aviation height clearance, proposing a 90:10 sharing formula in NAMA’s favour for obstacle evaluation charges.
Warning against continued underfunding, he said: “Safety is not purchased once. It is preserved through a continuous cycle of procurement, installation, testing, training, operation, maintenance, calibration, security and renewal. If any part of that cycle is chronically underfunded, the weakness accumulates quietly.”
However, the proposal was opposed by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, which warned that reducing its statutory allocation could weaken Nigeria’s aviation safety oversight and undermine compliance with international obligations.
Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, urged lawmakers to restore the Authority’s share of the Ticket Sales Charge to 65 per cent, arguing that adequate funding for the country’s aviation regulator is critical to sustaining international safety standards.
He noted that although Nigeria recently achieved an Effective Implementation score of 91.3 per cent during the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission, the country scored only 50 per cent in the assessment of financial resources available for aviation safety oversight.
“Against this background, Nigeria’s own score of only 50 per cent in this critical area clearly demonstrates that the financial capacity of the NCAA requires strengthening rather than further reduction,” Najomo said.
He explained that the NCAA performs sovereign regulatory functions rather than commercial services and relies heavily on the Ticket Sales Charge to fund inspections, certification, surveillance, technical training and Nigeria’s statutory obligations to international aviation organisations.
Najomo further argued that NAMA generates revenue from multiple commercial sources, whereas the Ticket Sales Charge accounts for the bulk of the NCAA’s funding.
“Aircraft do not inspect themselves. Airlines do not regulate themselves. Air Navigation Service Providers do not oversee themselves. Every certification, every surveillance inspection and every regulatory approval depends upon competent and experienced aviation inspectors,” he said.
The African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Abuja, also made a case for inclusion as a statutory beneficiary of the Ticket Sales Charge.
Presenting the university’s memorandum, the Acting Vice-Chancellor said the institution—Nigeria’s only specialised federal university dedicated to aviation and aerospace education—plays a strategic role in developing the skilled workforce required by the country’s aviation industry.
He proposed that the university receive not less than 10 per cent of the Ticket Sales Charge to support aviation education, research, innovation and manpower development.
According to him, the additional funding would enable the university to establish internationally accredited aviation laboratories, expand aerospace engineering facilities, strengthen research and train aviation professionals locally, thereby reducing dependence on foreign institutions.
“Investment in aviation education is therefore not expenditure but a strategic national investment,” he said.
He added that sustained investment in aviation manpower would improve safety, strengthen regulatory compliance, build indigenous capacity and support Nigeria’s ambition of becoming Africa’s leading aviation hub.
“The future of Nigeria’s aviation industry depends not only on funding infrastructure and regulation but also on investing in the people who will design, regulate, operate and sustain that infrastructure,” he said.
The House Committee on Aviation is expected to review all memoranda and oral submissions before presenting its report to the House of Representatives for consideration as lawmakers deliberate on the proposed amendments to the Civil Aviation Act and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (Establishment) Act.