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By Chinelo Obogo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has suspended the enforcement of helicopter landing fees for two months following a meeting with stakeholders from the oil and gas sector.
The meeting which held Monday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, was attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, representatives from International Oil Companies (IOCs), the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG). Keyamo also was joined by the outgoing Permanent Secretary Dr. Yakubu Kofarmata and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Umar Farouk.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Aviation Minister, Tunde Moshood, said in a statement that the meeting was at the instance of stakeholders in the oil and gas sector who expressed concern that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee, as currently structured, could potentially disrupt critical operations within the sector.
Last year, the aviation sector was embroiled in conflict as helicopter operators and oil companies pushed back against the $300-per-landing fee imposed by the federal government. The policy was introduced during the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari requiring International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Local Oil Companies (LOCs) to pay $300 for every helicopter landing on oil platforms, rigs, airstrips, aerodromes and helipads across the country. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) was fiercely opposed to the policy at the time. Members argued vehemently against the fees saying it was illegal, ill-conceived and predatory.
The intense pressure from stakeholders eventually elicited a response from the government. In May 2024, Keyamo announced a temporary suspension of the levy. He said the suspension was to allow for a comprehensive review by a committee comprising representatives from the Ministry, agencies, AON, IOCs, and NAEBI Dynamic Concept Ltd.
On May 15, 2025, exactly one year after the suspension of the levy, the federal government lifted it. A circular, “Authority to Collect Helicopter Landing Levy by Messrs NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Ltd,” signed by Akut D.S., General Manager, Air Traffic Control Operations, of the NAMA, directed NAEBI Dynamic Concept to resume immediate collection.
In early July 2025, NAMA escalated the situation further by issuing a 7-day ultimatum to all stakeholders, including IOCs, demanding that they submit payment plans and receipts and threatening to refuse to grant start-up clearances for non-compliant operators.
Stakeholders continued railing against the fees and after extensive deliberations, Keyamo on Mondya, ordered the temporary suspension of the fees for an initial two-month period. He also announced that an inter-ministerial committee from both the aviation and petroleum sectors would be formed immediately to examine the concerns in depth and develop a framework acceptable to all parties.
