NAMA to Lawmakers: Stop 50% Cuts, Restore Financial Autonomy for Safer Skies

At the opening session of a four-day retreat organized by the House Committee on Aviation, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Farouk Umar, made a compelling case for restoring the agency’s financial autonomy, warning that Nigeria’s aviation renaissance cannot take off under the current fiscal constraints.

Umar called on lawmakers to urgently halt the 50 percent revenue deduction imposed on NAMA, describing it as both unlawful and damaging to the country’s aviation safety and modernization drive. Citing Section 9(2) of the NAMA Act 2022, which exempts the agency’s revenue from external deductions, he noted that the policy directly undermines NAMA’s statutory responsibilities.

“The law is clear,” Umar stated. “Yet, the 50 percent levy at source is crippling our ability to maintain communication towers, radars, and navigation systems, to train the thousands of specialists who safeguard our skies, and to fund performance-based navigation systems required by ICAO.”

According to him, restoring financial autonomy is crucial for NAMA to channel funds into critical infrastructure, ensure regular maintenance of surveillance and communication equipment, expand staff training, and invest in digital transformation to keep Nigeria competitive in global aviation.

Beyond deductions, Umar urged lawmakers to enforce Section 18(1) of the NAMA Act, which provides for the collection of “Obstruction Evaluation Fees.” This vital revenue source remains dormant due to overlapping responsibilities with another aviation body. He warned that failure to implement the provision not only limits NAMA’s revenue but also poses safety risks.

The NAMA boss further pressed for a review of air-navigation charges, which have remained stagnant since 2008. He argued that the outdated fees do not reflect present-day economic realities, thereby preventing genuine cost recovery in the aviation sector.

The retreat, themed “Emerging Trends in Global Aviation: Sustainability, Technology, and Digital Transformation,” created a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on reforms needed to strengthen safety oversight, infrastructure investment, and compliance with international standards.

Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, assured participants that the National Assembly would give due consideration to the issues raised. He pledged legislative support to ensure aviation agencies like NAMA are adequately funded to fulfill their mandates.

As stakeholder sessions continued, a clear consensus emerged: without financial autonomy, Nigeria’s ambition to position itself as a leading aviation hub in Africa risks being permanently grounded.

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has urged the National Assembly to restore its financial autonomy by removing the 50% revenue deduction. MD Engr. Farouk Umar warns the levy undermines safety, modernization, and Nigeria’s global aviation competitiveness.