Operating as the sole civil aviation regulatory body in Nigeria, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been overseeing the country’s aviation industry, implementing vital safety and economic measures to ensure that it provides the best possible services for its passengers. Every year, millions of passengers travel through Nigeria, providing the country with one of the largest domestic aviation markets in Africa. For this reason, the aviation industry contributes significantly towards the country’s economic development, and so the NCAA plays a key role in supporting the industry to ensure it can continue to bring vital economic benefits for the country.
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The NCAA was established in 1999 by an Act of Parliament, with the statutory responsibility to oversee the regulation, monitoring and promotion of the safety, security, reliability and economic impact of Nigeria’s air navigation in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). The Authority commenced its operations on 1st Jan 2000, with a central mission to deliver NCAA as one of the leading Civil Aviation Authorities in the world, providing aviation safety and economic regulatory services in the most efficient, effective and technologically driven manner possible. In line with this, the NCAA aims to benefit all stakeholders and maintains the highest international standards and sustainable development of the industry for the national economy.
Nigeria today boasts an improved aviation industry, supported by vital infrastructural facilities and state-of-the-art navigation aids to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers flying within Nigeria’s aviation industry. Today, Nigeria’s aviation industry spans 31 airports, which are served by 39 AOC (air operating certificate) airlines for scheduled and non-scheduled flight operations, as well as 28 foreign airlines that operate within Nigeria. NCAA today operates in line with the ICAO, which is a specialised United Nations agency which is responsible for coordinating global principles and standards for international air transport. The organisation was established in 1944, and its 193 member states work together to develop and deliver safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable aviation networks across the world.
Today, NCAA oversees the safety and regulation of the industry, ensuring that every aspect of the aviation sector, from flight crews to engineers, air traffic control and all air operators, is operating in accordance with the ICAO standards to ensure a unified network supporting reliable aviation travel across the country. Alongside this, the NCAA also ensures that all airspace and aerodrome standards are up to date across its airports. As part of this, the Authority is responsible for certifying and regulating the country’s airports to ensure that every take off, landing and all the associated infrastructure are certified and regulated with international aviation standards. By implementing the international standards of the ICAO, the NCAA can ensure that its airports remain competitive in global markets, underpinned by the same safety and regulation standards as any other across the world.
For aircraft themselves, the NCAA ensures airworthiness, focused on the design and production, modification, repairs, and maintenance of aircraft. This division of the NCAA ensures that every aircraft meets the high standard of the NCAA’s airworthiness regulations. This instils a high level of safety standards across civil aircraft and ensures that every aspect of their safety and development is delivered with world-class standards. In line with this, the NCAA also ensures the overall security of the aviation industry in Nigeria, spanning from the aircraft to the personnel and the aircraft operating environment. In this division, NCAA continues to develop the National Civil Aviation Security Programme of Nigeria, which it utilised to define and coordinate the aspects of the program for the agencies, airport operators, aircraft operations and other allied services. Furthermore, the NCAA is also developing, implementing and maintaining a National Civil Aviation Security Training Programme, which it has developed to help establish high training standards across the country, whilst helping to develop aviation security training programmes for individual agencies and organisations.
As we can see from just a few examples of NCAA’s expansive regulatory work across Nigeria’s aviation sector, the Authority is committed to ensuring that every aspect of the aviation sector, from the planes to the airports and everything in between, is delivered with excellence, safety and strict international standards in mind to help promote Nigeria’s aviation industry among global aviation markets. However, with an ever-growing aviation industry, the NCAA continues to develop these regulations to ensure that it remains in sync with global aviation standards. A big aspect of such development has been the move towards digitisation. This was exemplified in May when the Electric Master Plan for Inspection and Certification (EMPIC) system was introduced, which is used for personnel licensing and medical certification. By digitising the system, EMPIC will help reduce delays in aviation licensing through a more centralised database. This is a key milestone for the NCAA as it is driving the Authority’s move towards a more modern aviation regulatory oversight, whilst strengthening its regulatory framework.
In May, the NCAA also launched the Drone Portal, which is focused on drone regulations. The Drone Portal was launched by the NCAA in an effort to streamline drone regulations, promote safe drone operation and help accelerate the growth of the drone industry. The announcement was made during the 6th African International Drone Technology Conference and Exhibition by the Director General of Civil Aviation and CEO of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo. Najomo outlined in his opening address a need to curb drone proliferation, whilst managing the growth of the recreational open category of drones and providing a comprehensive road map and direction for the industry. Alongside this, it will help establish the clear role the aviation industry will play in making Nigeria a prime player in the drone sector. The new portal will provide a hub for flyer IDs, certifications and drone registration, which can be accessed by operators. Through this network, the NCAA can provide a more comprehensive regulation of the industry and help maintain drone compliance in Nigeria.
Across Nigeria, the NCAA provides reliable and effective regulatory services to ensure that every flight, aircraft and aviation operation across the country is supported by strict regulation. These regulations are underpinned by the ICAO, which ensures that all operations conducted across Nigeria’s aviation sector also meet international standards to help promote and enhance the competitiveness of the country’s aviation sector within global markets. With a comprehensive range of services spanning from regulation, licensing, safety and even customer-focused protections, NCAA is delivering a vital aviation industry for Nigeria to support the long-term development of Nigeria’s aviation for many years to come. With vital new expansions, including the development of the new Drone Portal and the continued digitalisation of its operations, NCAA remains focused on developing and expanding its operations to meet the growing changes and developments of the industry as it works to enhance the aviation sector and, in the process, support the aviation impact on the local economy for many years to come. We look forward to seeing how the NCAA will continue to develop alongside ICAO regulation, to deliver a strengthened and reliable aviation industry in Nigeria for many years to come.
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