Preying on NCAA Funds Dangerous to Aviation Safety, Regulator Warns
Oru Leonard
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has cautioned against any move to reduce its statutory share of the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), warning that such action could weaken aviation safety oversight and endanger air travellers across the country.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, gave the warning while speaking with journalists in Abuja over ongoing legislative efforts to reduce the Authority’s share of the TSC in favour of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
According to him, the proposed amendment, currently before the National Assembly, could significantly erode the financial capacity of the NCAA, limiting its ability to effectively discharge its regulatory responsibilities.
Achimugu stressed that aviation safety depends heavily on a well-funded and independent regulator, noting that any reduction in the NCAA’s resources would undermine its oversight functions.
“The reason planes are not falling from the sky today under this administration, unlike in the past, is because of the CAA,” he said, explaining that the Authority requires more, not less, funding to sustain safety standards.
He noted that under existing law, the NCAA collects a five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and remits statutory portions to NAMA, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
According to him, the Federal Government also makes deductions from the NCAA’s allocation, making any further reduction unnecessary and potentially harmful.
“The staff of the regulatory agency must be better trained than the service providers they regulate. If inspectors do not possess superior technical knowledge, they cannot effectively enforce safety standards,” Achimugu stated.
He attributed Nigeria’s positive performance in international aviation safety and security audits, as well as improvements in passenger rights protection, to the NCAA’s strong regulatory oversight.
“The reason Nigeria continues to excel in safety and security audits is because of the NCAA. The reason passengers’ rights are better protected today is because of the NCAA,” he added.
Achimugu argued that air navigation service providers such as NAMA were originally designed to be self-sustaining through internally generated revenue, while the NCAA operates as a cost-recovery agency whose funding is essential to maintaining effective regulation.
He urged stakeholders to carefully consider the long-term implications of reducing the regulator’s financial capacity, insisting that aviation authorities worldwide receive adequate funding because of their critical responsibility of safeguarding lives.
“The NCAA needs more funding, not less. We are a cost-recovery agency, not a revenue-generating one. Proper funding ensures inspectors remain well-trained and adequately remunerated, reducing the risk of compromise and protecting the flying public,” he said.
The NCAA spokesman disclosed that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), had already intervened to resolve the dispute among the affected agencies.
According to him, the minister is engaging all parties and there is no need for public statements capable of escalating tensions while discussions are ongoing.
Achimugu also dismissed reports alleging that the NCAA was indebted to NAMA, explaining that statutory remittances are processed directly by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), not by the Authority.
“The NCAA does not make remittances directly to the agency. The CBN does so. From our checks, the remittances were being processed. So, the issue of NCAA owing anybody does not arise,” he said.
