The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has asked the National Assembly to more than double its share of Nigeria’s five per cent aviation ticket sales charge, seeking an increase from 22 per cent to 56 per cent.
NAMA managing director, Farouk Umar, made the demand at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation.
Umar said the agency’s existing share of the aviation revenue pool no longer reflected the scale of its statutory responsibilities or the rising cost of maintaining critical air navigation infrastructure.
He stressed that the proposed increase would not result in a higher ticket sales charge for passengers but would instead change the distribution of the existing five per cent revenue pool.
According to him, NAMA requires stronger funding to maintain the infrastructure and systems that keep aircraft operating safely within Nigerian airspace.
“Long before a passenger boards an aircraft, NAMA’s personnel and systems are already at work. A flight plan must be processed, aeronautical information must be current. Radios must be clear,” Umar said.
He added that navigation aids must remain serviceable, surveillance systems available, air traffic controllers at their stations, engineers ready to respond and primary and backup power systems operational.
Umar said the cost of maintaining the country’s air navigation system had outgrown the existing funding arrangement.
He disclosed that NAMA’s total cost profile exceeded N43 billion in 2023.
The expenditure comprised approximately N21 billion in personnel costs, more than N12 billion in capital expenditure and over N10 billion in overhead costs.
Despite these rising expenses, Umar said NAMA’s navigation charge had remained at N11,000 per flight since June 2008.
He said the charge had not kept pace with increases in the cost of fuel, electricity, foreign exchange, imported components, software licences and specialised technical training.
The NAMA boss also raised concerns about the condition of the country’s Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) system, saying the ageing surveillance infrastructure required urgent renewal.
He warned that growing cybersecurity risks made sustained investment in modern aviation surveillance and information systems increasingly necessary.
Umar called for investment in digital aeronautical information systems, satellite-enabled surveillance and integrated flight-data systems to improve the resilience and effectiveness of Nigeria’s airspace management infrastructure.
Beyond funding, he asked lawmakers to recognise obstacle assessment and WGS-84 aeronautical surveys as chargeable technical services provided by NAMA.
He also called for the harmonisation of Nigeria’s aviation laws, pointing out an inconsistency between existing legislation.
According to him, the Civil Aviation Act provides for a 22 per cent allocation to NAMA, while the NAMA Act refers to 23 per cent in its provisions relating to the agency’s funds.
Umar pledged that NAMA would strengthen transparency and accountability if its allocation was increased.
He proposed automated revenue collection, quarterly disclosure of receipts and projects, annual independent audits and measurable performance indicators.
“We are prepared to report what was received, what it purchased, which milestone was achieved and what improvement the user obtained,” he said.
The proposal comes as lawmakers review the financial structure of Nigeria’s aviation industry and consider reforms aimed at strengthening the agencies responsible for airspace safety and sector development.
