By Iqrom Ojewole
President Bola Tinubu has sanctioned a 30% reduction on statutory fees owed by local airlines to aviation regulatory bodies, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo announced on Friday.
The decision was communicated via the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to a statement released by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister.
Keyamo explained that the discount is designed to ease financial strain on operators in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The waiver applies to outstanding obligations accrued by domestic carriers, including parking fees due to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), air navigation service charges payable to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and other related regulatory levies.
According to the minister, the measure forms part of the Federal Government’s response to the persistent Jet A1 fuel crisis that has driven up costs for local airlines.
He noted that the administration is focused on stabilizing the sector, protecting airline businesses, and sustaining the operations of domestic air travel nationwide.
“This intervention underscores the government’s resolve to maintain stability in the aviation industry, protect airline operations, and guarantee the sustainability of domestic air transport services,” Keyamo said.
In a separate update, Keyamo revealed that Nigeria’s aviation sector secured a 91.45% score in the latest safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The audit was carried out at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) headquarters in Abuja.
He stated that the figure, disclosed during the ICAO team’s debriefing, marks the highest safety rating Nigeria has recorded since joining the ICAO safety oversight framework.
The minister emphasized that the new score places Nigeria significantly ahead of both the West African regional average of 61.1% and the global benchmark of 70.4%. This, he said, cements Nigeria’s position as a continental leader in aviation safety compliance.
He added that the improved rating is expected to boost investor confidence, enhance Nigeria’s reputation in global aviation, and attract stronger international partnerships and investments into the sector.
ICAO, a United Nations specialized agency, sets international standards for air navigation and oversees the safe and structured growth of civil aviation worldwide. It assesses member countries through its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), which evaluates the effectiveness of national safety oversight systems.
Nigeria has participated in four full USOAP audits since the programme started in 1999. Performance is measured using Effective Implementation (EI) scores, which indicate how well a country’s aviation safety framework functions.
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