By George Ozalla
The Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, has called for closer engagement between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the National Assembly to strengthen aviation regulation and ensure that Nigeria’s rules remain in line with international standards.
Najomo made the call on Tuesday, August 19, 2026, when the House of Representatives Committee on Delegated Legislation visited the NCAA headquarters in Abuja for a familiarisation meeting.
The meeting focused on the NCAA’s regulatory responsibilities, the making of aviation regulations, consumer protection and some of the challenges affecting the industry.
Welcoming the committee, Najomo said regular engagement with the National Assembly was necessary to ensure that Nigeria’s aviation regulations remained responsive to developments in the sector and consistent with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
He said the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 and other regulatory instruments provide the legal basis for the NCAA’s responsibilities in aviation safety, security, economic regulation and consumer protection.
Chairman of the committee, Rt. Hon. Olufemi Richard Bamishile, said the visit was aimed at helping members understand the NCAA’s rule-making process and strengthening cooperation between the legislature and the aviation regulator.
Bamishile also raised concerns about outstanding statutory remittances by airlines, calling for amendments that would allow applicable funds to be deducted and remitted directly to the NCAA.
He said such an arrangement would ensure that the authority receives funds due to it without unnecessary delays and would help it perform its regulatory responsibilities more effectively.
A member of the committee, Hon. Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, sought explanations from the NCAA on the frequent delays and cancellations of flights and the measures being taken to prevent passengers from being repeatedly affected.
Responding, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said inadequate aircraft capacity had contributed to some of the disruptions experienced by passengers.
Achimugu explained that there had been situations where one aircraft was scheduled to serve several routes. When the aircraft became unavailable, passengers on other routes were also affected.
He said more aircraft were being introduced through dry-lease arrangements, which would increase the capacity available to airlines and help reduce disruptions.
Achimugu also disclosed that a system was being developed to allow passengers affected by flight disruptions to be rebooked on other airlines when their original carrier was unable to operate the affected flight.
On the proposed amendment to the Civil Aviation Act, the Director of Legal Services, Mrs. Mary Tufano-Eche, said the review of the law had reached its final stages with the Ministry of Justice.
She said the document would still be updated before it is presented to the National Assembly.
The committee and NCAA agreed to continue discussions on the review of aviation regulations and other issues raised during the visit.
