The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned that any attempt to reduce its statutory share of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) would undermine aviation safety by weakening the Authority’s capacity to carry out effective regulatory oversight.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, gave the warning while briefing journalists in Abuja on a proposed amendment before the National Assembly seeking to reduce the Authority’s share of the TSC in favour of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
He argued that the proposal was unnecessary, noting that NAMA was established by law as a self-sustaining agency, while the NCAA depends largely on the TSC to fund its statutory regulatory responsibilities.
According to him, further reducing the Authority’s share of the TSC would significantly weaken its financial position and compromise its ability to maintain aviation safety standards.
He said “By law, the NCAA collects the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and remits statutory allocations to NAMA, the NIGERIAN METROLOGICAL AGENCY (NIMET), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).”
Achimugu stressed that aviation regulators across the world require strong and sustainable funding because of their responsibility to oversee safety, while air navigation service providers such as NAMA are generally expected to generate enough revenue to finance their operations.
He explained that although the NCAA was originally designed to be funded by the Federal Government, the introduction of the Ticket Sales Charge shifted that responsibility, with the Authority also required to share the proceeds with other aviation agencies.
“The NCAA needs more funding, not less. The Federal Government already makes deductions from the Authority’s share before it is received. Any further reduction in our cost-recovery funds is unnecessary,” he stated.
“The reason planes are not falling from the sky today under this administration, unlike in the past, is because of the NCAA,” he said.
He emphasized that inspectors of the regulatory authority must possess higher technical competence than the operators they supervise, saying, if inspectors do not have superior technical knowledge, they cannot effectively enforce safety standards.
He credited the NCAA’s regulatory oversight for Nigeria’s strong performance in international aviation safety and security audits, as well as improvements in passenger rights protection.
He urged stakeholders to consider the long-term implications of reducing the Authority’s funding, insisting that adequate resources were essential for training inspectors, maintaining regulatory independence and safeguarding the flying public.
“The NCAA needs more funding, not less. We are a cost-recovery agency, not a revenue-generating one. Adequate funding ensures our inspectors remain well-trained and properly remunerated, reducing the risk of compromise and protecting the flying public,” he said.
Achimugu also disclosed that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo(SAN), had intervened in the dispute and was engaging all parties to find an amicable resolution.
He appealed to stakeholders to refrain from making inflammatory public statements while discussions were ongoing.
The NCAA spokesman further dismissed reports that the Authority was indebted to NAMA, explaining that statutory remittances are processed directly by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“The NCAA does not make remittances directly to any agency. The CBN handles the process. From our checks, the remittances are being processed, so the issue of the NCAA owing anyone does not arise,” he said.
