Stakeholders Divided Over NAMA’s Share Of Aviation Levies

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation sector have disagreed over whether the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency should receive a larger share of aviation levies to strengthen air navigation and safety infrastructure.

The disagreement centres on the sharing formula for the Ticket Sales Charge and related aviation levies, with some industry experts calling for increased funding for NAMA, while others insist that any additional allocation should be tied to measurable improvements in operational efficiency.

Former Group Captain at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, John Ojikutu, argued that NAMA’s responsibilities and operating costs justified an upward review of its share of the levies.

Ojikutu said NAMA provides critical air traffic and navigation services for commercial, private and government aircraft, as well as diplomatic and military flights operating within or transiting Nigeria’s airspace.

He noted that the agency oversees air traffic control, flight information, aeronautical information, emergency coordination, search and rescue coordination and en-route navigation services.

According to him, NAMA’s operations depend on sophisticated safety equipment, including surveillance radars, Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range systems, Distance Measuring Equipment, Instrument Landing Systems and VHF and HF communication systems.

He warned that such equipment must undergo regular maintenance and calibration to prevent potential risks to flight operations.

Ojikutu said the agency’s workforce of more than 3,000 personnel, including over 800 air traffic controllers and more than 500 engineers and technologists, also required substantial recurrent expenditure for training, medical checks and other operational needs.

He therefore called for NAMA’s share of the TSC, Cargo Sales Charge and Commercial and Cargo Charges proceeds to be increased from 23 per cent to 40 per cent.

He also raised concerns over outstanding payments by some domestic airlines for services provided by NAMA, saying the situation had further worsened the agency’s funding challenges.

However, aviation analyst and former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Sam Caulcrick, opposed the argument that NAMA’s operating expenses alone should determine its share of the aviation levies.

Caulcrick said increased funding should be preceded by improvements in operational efficiency and revenue protection.

He particularly criticised aspects of Nigeria’s upper-airspace communications infrastructure, arguing that weaknesses in the system had contributed to communication gaps between pilots and air traffic controllers.

According to him, unreliable communication could discourage airlines from using Nigerian airspace, resulting in lost overflight traffic and revenue.

Caulcrick urged NAMA to prioritise the improvement of upper-airspace communications and the recovery of lost overflight traffic before seeking additional funding.

He said aviation capital expenditure should deliver measurable gains in operational efficiency and revenue generation.

The stakeholders’ differing positions have renewed calls for a comprehensive assessment of the funding and operational needs of aviation agencies, as well as greater scrutiny of how existing revenues are utilised.