By Chinelo Obogo
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that, from January 1, 2026, all local airports and airstrips operating without valid permits will face sanctions.
Speaking at the maiden Airstrip Owners/Operators Stakeholders’ Engagement in Lagos on Monday, Godwin Balang, Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, said only a few of Nigeria’s 92 airstrips currently hold valid operational permits. These include operational, non-operational, and airstrips under rehabilitation or construction.
Balang stated that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has been informed that, from 1 January 2026, local airports under its management without proper permits will be sanctioned. “FAAN has been apprised that effective from 1st January 2026, local airports without appropriate permits under its management would be sanctioned accordingly. This is not a threat but a collective resolve,” he said.
The NCAA noted that 68 of the 92 airstrips are federal government properties managed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, while 24 are owned by individuals and private organisations. The authority to enforce these measures comes from Section 71 (3) & (4)(a) of the Civil Aviation Authority Act 2022, which empowers the NCAA to certify aerodrome operations and set safety standards.
Balang addressed stakeholders’ pleas to review the N30 million permit fee and other charges to encourage investment. “I completely agree with you because by doing that it would look like the government will be making less money, but we are actually going to be making more money. We have a population of over 200 million people with conservatively less than three million people who are actively flying. So, it is also a big opportunity that if we are able to charge less, more people will be able to fly,” he said.
NCAA Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo, outlined the engagement’s goals: to improve communication with state and private airstrip operators, clarify regulatory requirements, address challenges, and promote global best practices.
“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.