Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it would order closure of any airport or airstrip that operated flight services without its approval, from January 1, 2026.
The regulatory authority gave the directive on Monday in Lagos, saying the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR), as amended, provides that airports must receive valid operational permit from NCAA before they would operate and without which their operations would be suspended.
Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), NCAA, Godwin Balang, made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ engagement with airstrip owners and operators, organised by the authority.
Balang said Section 71 (3) & (4)(a) of the NCAA 2022 empowered the authority to certify and grant permits to conduct aerodrome operations in Nigeria and to establish minimum safety standards for the design, operation, and maintenance of aerodrome.
Balang added that the authority would increase surveillance on the operations of airstrips in Nigeria.
He disclosed that out of 96 airstrips in Nigeria, only a few were up to date with their valid operational permits.
Balang stated, “At the inception of this administration the Honourable Minister unveiled his agenda for the industry to which the DGCA (Director General, NCAA) had to sign performance bond.
“In the bid to implement, one of the key deliverables for the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards is holding an airstrip owners’/operators’ engagement with a view to developing the sector for our common good.
“This engagement is an alignment with this mandate to advance airstrip regulation in Nigeria. It may interest this forum to note that as part of the moves to fulfilling this mandate two of our international airports were recertified late last year and we are working to certify others soon.”
Balang further explained that Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had been made to know that effective January 1, 2026 local airports without appropriate permits under its management would be sanctioned accordingly. He said this was not a threat but a collective resolve.
He said it was because FAAN and others who managed the airports knew their rules of engagement that the agency decided to interact with those that managed the airstrips.
Balang said, “There are about 92 airstrips (operational, non-operational and some under rehabilitation/new constructions) in Nigeria based on the existing NCAA Airstrip database.
“Interestingly, a few are already up to date with their valid operational permits.”
Balang said because of the changes taking place in the aviation industry, NCAA had to undertake a review and adopt new regulatory strategies to align with the realities of the time for a more impactful result.
He stated, “We would, therefore, need to tweak our regulations and other guiding documents accordingly. This is the crux of this engagement. It is worthy of mention that among these 92 airstrips, 68 are federal government airstrips being managed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development while 24 belong to individuals and private organisations. This brings to the fore the need for deeper engagement of NCAA with the ministry to streamline the operator and regulator status for effective management.”
Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, said the aim of the engagement was to enhance communication between NCAA and states and private airstrip operators/owners to clarify regulatory requirements applicable to airstrip construction, operations and safety standards.
Najomo said the engagement was to also identify and address challenges faced by state and private airstrip operators; explore collaborative opportunities for airstrip development and integration into Nigeria’s aviation system; and to promote the adoption of global best practices in airstrip operations and management.
“It is my fervent hope that these objectives will be fully realised and airstrip operations in Nigeria will, henceforth, be conducted in strict compliance with all regulatory provisions and global best practices,” he said.
Chinedu Eze
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