The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has urged the National Assembly to halt the deduction of 50 per cent of its internally generated revenue (IGR), warning that the move is crippling the agency’s ability to meet statutory obligations, expand capacity, and fulfil international commitments.
NAMA’s Managing Director, Engr Farouk Umar, highlighted during a four-day retreat of the House Committee on Aviation in Abuja that without financial reforms, modernising Nigeria’s aviation sector would remain difficult.
In a statement, NAMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Dr Abdullahi Musa, said Umar called for full enforcement of Section 9(2) of the NAMA Act 2022, which stipulates that all fees and charges imposed by NAMA should not be subject to deductions or remittance to any other body.
Umar emphasised that adherence to the law is critical for maintaining infrastructure such as towers, radars, and communication networks; paying and training thousands of skilled personnel; funding upgrades like Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS); and meeting International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards. He added that proper enforcement would also allow NAMA to invest in digitalisation and innovation to remain competitive globally.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, said the National Assembly is committed to developing actionable plans to enhance aviation safety, improve infrastructure, and strengthen regulatory compliance. He expressed confidence that the retreat would foster collaboration among stakeholders and advance Nigeria’s aviation sector.
