The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has appealed to the National Assembly to repeal the 50 percent revenue deduction from the agency’s purse.
It says this deduction undermines the agency’s financial independence and hampers the modernization of Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Speaking at the opening of a four‑day retreat of the House Committee on Aviation, NAMA’s Managing Director Mr. Farouk Umar warned that without full enforcement of Section 9(2) of the NAMA Act 2022, which expressly bars any deduction or remittance of NAMA’s fees.
According to him, the agency cannot sustain essential infrastructure such as towers, radars and communication networks, nor fund the training and salaries of the thousands of personnel who keep the country’s skies safe.
Mr. Umar noted that the current deduction, which is not aligned with the Act, cripples NAMA’s ability to meet statutory obligations, expand capacity and comply with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards.
He urged the legislature to ensure that the agency can collect obstruction‑evaluation fees under Section 18(1) of the same law, a revenue stream that has been siphoned by another aviation body despite being expressly vested in NAMA.
The NAMA chief also called for an urgent review of air navigation charges, which have remained unchanged since 2008, arguing that a price adjustment is needed to reflect today’s economic realities and achieve true cost recovery.
House Committee Chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Idris Garba echoed the sentiment, saying the retreat, titled “Emerging Trends in Global Aviation: Sustainability, Technology, and Digital Transformation”, offers a timely platform for legislators, regulators and industry stakeholders to forge actionable plans that boost safety, upgrade infrastructure and strengthen regulatory compliance.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen