NCAA urges Reps to restore 65% TSC share to strengthen aviation safety

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By Nnasom David

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ABUJA — The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has urged the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to restore its original 65 per cent share of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC), warning that any further reduction could weaken Nigeria’s aviation safety oversight and undermine compliance with international standards.

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Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, made the appeal on Thursday during the committee’s public hearing on the proposed review of the allocation formula for the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge in Abuja.

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Najomo said the NCAA supports adequate funding for all aviation agencies but maintained that if the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) requires additional funding, such resources should be generated through improved commercial operations, greater operational efficiency, enhanced corporate governance or targeted government intervention for strategic infrastructure projects.

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He urged lawmakers to restore the original funding formula established when the NCAA and NAMA were created in 1999.

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“The NCAA respectfully requests that this honourable committee champion the return to the original vision that drove the establishment of the NCAA and NAMA in 1999. We submit that NCAA’s allocation of the five per cent TSC be restored to 65 per cent to address the deficiencies identified by ICAO during its last audit and align Nigeria with global best funding practices,” he said.

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Najomo explained that about 80 per cent of the NCAA’s revenue is generated from the Ticket Sales Charge, while NAMA derives about 75 per cent of its income from commercial charges imposed on aircraft operators.

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According to him, the five per cent TSC accounts for only about 25 per cent of NAMA’s total revenue.

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He added that NAMA also benefits from Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) funds and government allocations, unlike the NCAA.

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The NCAA boss listed at least 16 statutory commercial revenue streams available to NAMA, including overflight and en-route charges, terminal navigation charges, aeronautical information sales, calibration fees, telecommunications services, air traffic services at private aerodromes, consultancy services and property leases.

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He said these revenue sources are consistent with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) funding model for Air Navigation Service Providers.

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Najomo stressed that any review of the aviation funding framework should be guided by ICAO policies, international best practices and Nigeria’s obligations under the Chicago Convention.

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“Aviation safety is not sustained by legislation alone. It depends on competent inspectors, effective surveillance, continuous certification, recurrent technical training, international cooperation and an independent regulator with the financial capacity to discharge its statutory responsibilities without compromise,” he said.

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He noted that any redistribution of statutory revenue should be assessed based on its impact on Nigeria’s ability to maintain an effective State Safety Oversight System and protect air travellers.

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Najomo recalled that the Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge were introduced in line with ICAO’s policy that aviation safety regulation should be funded by the aviation industry.

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He added that, beyond regulating the aviation sector, the NCAA is responsible for meeting Nigeria’s financial obligations to international and regional aviation organisations, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation (BAGASOO) and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC).

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According to him, ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme assesses whether member states have adequate funding mechanisms for aviation safety regulators through its Protocol Question 2.051.

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Although Nigeria recently recorded an Effective Implementation score of 91.3 per cent in the ICAO audit, Najomo said the country’s weakest performance was in the area of financial resources for its State Safety Oversight System.

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He disclosed that Nigeria scored only 50 per cent in that category, describing it as a major concern identified by ICAO.

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Najomo warned that reducing the NCAA’s principal statutory funding source at a time when ICAO has highlighted inadequate financial resources would amount to undermining efforts to address the deficiencies identified by the global aviation regulator.

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