Reps push aviation law overhaul as NCAA earns N1.13tn
August 10, 2026 12:35 am
File: House of Representatives
The House of Representatives has stepped up efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s aviation laws, with lawmakers proposing a new revenue-sharing formula that could significantly alter how billions of naira generated from the sector’s five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge are distributed among aviation agencies.
The move comes against the backdrop of figures presented before lawmakers showing that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority received an estimated N777bn from the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and N352bn from the Cargo Sales Charge in 2026, bringing the combined figure to about N1.129tn.
The proposed amendment is expected to review the sharing formula between aviation agencies, automate remittances to beneficiary agencies, harmonise conflicting provisions in existing aviation laws and strengthen the financial capacity of institutions responsible for safety, navigation, investigation and other critical services in the sector.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who was represented at a recent stakeholder engagement by the sponsor of the amendment bill, Sada Soli, assured stakeholders that the review was aimed at addressing long-standing structural and funding challenges within the aviation industry.
The proposed amendment has, however, stirred tension among aviation agencies, particularly the NCAA and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, as both institutions make competing arguments over how the revenue should be shared.
Under the existing arrangement, the NCAA has 56 per cent of the five per cent charge, while NAMA receives 22 per cent, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency gets nine per cent, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology receives seven per cent, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau gets six per cent.
The proposed formula would reduce the NCAA’s share to 40 per cent, while increasing NAMA’s allocation from 22 per cent to 40 per cent.
While the NCAA is seeking to retain, and potentially increase, its access to the fund to strengthen regulatory and safety oversight, NAMA has argued that its expanding operational responsibilities, infrastructure needs and ageing facilities require a larger share of the same pool.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ forum, Soli said the proposed reform was not designed to deprive any agency of resources, but to create what he described as a more equitable and transparent financial framework for the aviation sector.
He said lawmakers had listened to the concerns raised during the public hearing and were determined to address gaps in the existing legislation. Soli said, “I am happy so many things have come out of this public hearing. I am happy that the areas we are set to amend are now becoming clearer.”
According to him, the proposed legislation is targeted at ensuring that Nigeria’s aviation laws and institutions close ranks with international best practices. “We are changing the law and changing the name of AIB to NSIB to align with international best practice. We are trying to control the financing and block leakages and corruption,” he said.
Soli said the scale of the revenue involved made it expedient for lawmakers to ensure that the money was properly accounted for and channelled towards improving aviation infrastructure and safety.
“When I look at the financial framework of the NCAA, what they presented to the Committee for five per cent TSC for 2026 was N777bn. The five per cent for cargo charges, that is CSC, was N352bn,” he said.
The figures, he noted, formed part of the fiscal framework approved by the House Committee on Aviation. Soli further linked the proposed reforms to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s emphasis on cost recovery across the aviation ecosystem, arguing that funding should reflect the responsibilities carried by different agencies.
“Some of ICAO’s recommendations for aviation are talking about cost recovery for the aviation ecosystem. What we are doing here is to bring equity to balancing investment in the aviation industry,” he said.
The lawmaker insisted that the objective was not to create winners and losers among the agencies, but to ensure that each institution has the resources required to perform its statutory responsibilities. “We are not trying to shortchange any agency. We are trying to bring equity to the system,” he added.
The lawmaker held that the challenge was therefore to strike a balance between these competing demands without weakening any of the institutions that collectively keep Nigeria’s skies safe.
With more than N1.1tn in TSC and CSC revenue cited before lawmakers for 2026, The PUNCH gathered that stakes are high for both the government and the aviation agencies whose operations depend heavily on the funds.
Our correspondent also gathered that the coming legislative process may therefore attract scrutiny into the finances of the agencies, particularly their spending.
However, in the heat of the development, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Chris Najomo, in a video on social media, threatened that should NAMA continue to press for more funds, he would ensure the agency was reduced to a directorate within the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.
His words, “If NAMA continues this way to say that they don’t have enough funds to carry out their responsibilities, I will issue an ROI to NAMA and tell them that they will be sent back to FAAN where they came from to be a directorate.”
Countering the NCAA boss, Retired Group Captain at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, John Ojikutu, said, “Does he understand the differences between an aeronautical safety service provider and an aeronautical commercial services agency? Does he also know that without NAMA, no business for airlines nor airports and their allied services?
“Again, there were aerodromes with the Air Traffic Control Services before airports with their commercial and allied services. He seems not to have the idea that the FCAA was a combination of Civil Aviation Authority and National Air Traffic Services?”
Akinlotan is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of experience reporting on politics, social justice, motoring, railways, and aviation. His work focuses on accountability, public interest, and social change, producing stories that inspire reform and amplify underrepresented voices. Akinlotan’s reporting reflects extensive newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a strong commitment to accurate, impact-driven journalism.
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