Aviation professionals across different disciplines have outlined urgent reforms and strategic interventions required to stabilise Nigeria’s aviation sector and place it on a sustainable growth path over the next 12 months, warning that prolonged neglect could push the industry to the brink.
Speaking in separate interviews, a retired airline captain, Muhammed Badamosi, expressed deep concern over what he described as years of weak regulation, inadequate infrastructure and insufficient investment, arguing that the sector has made little tangible progress over the past decade.
He likened the industry’s development to “a journey of one step forward and two steps backwards,” questioning whether any meaningful improvements have been recorded in infrastructure, financing or regulatory oversight.
“In practical terms, the aviation sector today is no better than it was 10 years ago, Which of these critical areas has truly improved? These are the honest questions we must confront if we want progress.”,” Badamosi said.
Badamosi noted that many of Nigeria’s major airports still operate obsolete navigation systems that have long been phased out globally. According to him, most airports continue to rely on Category II Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and VOR navigation aids, while the rest of the world has advanced to Category III systems.
“Since the 1980s, we have depended on Category II ILS. Globally, aviation has moved to Category III-1, 3-2 and even 3-3. More than 20 years after joining the global aviation community, why are we still stuck at this level?” he asked.
Although Nigeria does not contend with severe winter conditions, Badamosi warned that Category II ILS remains unreliable in adverse weather, even under local conditions such as harmattan haze and fog.
He also highlighted the deteriorating state of airport infrastructure, including runways and taxiways that require urgent rehabilitation or complete reconstruction, while questioning the effectiveness of radar coverage across Nigerian airspace.
“Have we truly achieved total radar coverage under TRACON? I don’t think so. These are fundamental safety enablers. Without them, safety is compromised,” he said.
Another major concern raised was the continued operation of ageing aircraft within the country’s fleet, many of them acquired second-hand. Badamosi cited recent incidents involving nose-wheel collapses during landing or taxiing as indicators of systemic safety lapses.
“Some of these incidents should never have occurred,” he said, alleging that corruption within the system sometimes compromises regulatory oversight.
He further criticised the structure of aircraft inspection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), noting that inspectors often remain in their roles far beyond the stipulated tenure. According to him, inspectors are meant to serve three-year contracts, renewable for just one additional year, to minimise the risk of undue familiarity with operators.
“The policy was designed to protect safety,” he said. “While management may argue cost-effectiveness, we must weigh the cost of training against the cost of flight safety.”
On funding, Badamosi described federal budgetary allocations to aviation as grossly inadequate, noting that the reported N714bn earmarked for aviation services falls short for a sector that is inherently capital-intensive.
As part of the solution, he advocated the concessioning of selected airports to improve efficiency and reduce the financial burden on government.
“If Nigeria wants to be highly rated in global aviation, concessioning airports is a practical step. Government cannot continue to shoulder this burden alone,” he said.
Looking ahead, Badamosi stressed the importance of sustainable financing and strategic partnerships, particularly for domestic airlines. He urged members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria to explore partnerships with foreign carriers, warning that poor infrastructure has made international lessors reluctant to place aircraft in Nigeria.
“If these issues are not addressed urgently, the sector risks collapse and potential blacklisting,” he cautioned.
Also commenting on industry challenges, President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Dr Yinka Folami, dismissed claims that airline operators are burdened with 18 separate government taxes on each ticket, describing the assertion as unfamiliar to industry professionals.
Folami called for a formal government investigation into the claim, noting that in NANTA’s more than 50 years of existence, the allegation was unprecedented among its over 4,000 registered members.
“It may not be impossible, but it requires proper enquiry and deconstruction,” he said. “Leadership demands clarity. We must move beyond speculation and interrogate how these alleged taxes are constructed.”
He further argued that recent spikes in airfares could not be attributed to taxes, pointing out that government charges did not change between June—when a Lagos–Abuja one-way ticket sold for about N100,000—and December, when fares rose to between N200,000 and N250,000.
“The increase is driven by airline commercial decisions and seasonal demand, not government taxes,” Folami said.
A travel analyst, Lucky George, echoed similar views, attributing persistently high fares to capacity constraints rather than taxation. He noted that Nigeria’s aviation market serves a population of over 200 million people, yet airline capacity remains limited, resulting in supply falling short of demand.
According to him, high fares have made air travel inaccessible to a significant segment of the population, despite strong latent demand. He also renewed calls for the establishment of a new national carrier, arguing that existing indigenous airlines lack the scale to meet market needs.
Industry expert Olumide Ohunayo, on his part, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among airport authorities and stricter enforcement of airport laws, particularly in dealing with unruly passengers.
Ohunayo argued that cases of misconduct should go beyond media coverage to actual prosecution, as seen in other jurisdictions.
“In other climes, airport laws automatically trigger legal consequences when violated. The system follows through until offenders are punished; here, after media reports, everything goes quiet. That is why bad behaviour persists. No one should be above the law.”
He also rejected the view that rising airfares are purely seasonal, calling for sustained government support to help airlines acquire additional aircraft and establish local maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities.
“Capacity constraints are real and require urgent attention. Supporting fleet expansion and local MROs will ease operational costs, improve capacity, and ultimately drive airfares down.”
