Experts Attribute Poor Air Safety Regulation to Government Interference

Chinedu Eze

Experts in the aviation industry have attributed the recent incidents in Nigeria’s airspace to laxity in regulation occasioned by prolonged government interference in the regulatory activities of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The experts who spoke to THISDAY warned that the incidents may build up to something catastrophic if not checked urgently.

Late last year, Nigerian Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) released report on major aircraft incident involving unscheduled aircraft, a Hawker 800XP with eight persons on-board, which crash landed at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on December 14, 2025.

Also, on December 16, 2025, a Cessna 172 aircraft also crashed as it approached the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo state.

On February 11, 2026, Arik Air’s Boeing 737-700 aircraft with registration mark, 5N MJF, operating flight W3 740 from Lagos to Port Harcourt, diverted to Benin airport as precautionary safety measure, after its left engine exploded as it prepared to descend to Port Harcourt airport.

One of the experts, an aeronautical engineer, told THISDAY that when incidents of that nature begins to occur frequently, they become an augury of major accident if decisive action is not taken.

“In aviation, decline does not announce itself loudly at first. It begins quietly — through deferred planning, weakened technical discipline, normalization of exception, and governance instability. It progresses incrementally until an “incident” becomes something far worse,” the expert said.

Also, a seasoned aircraft pilot, industry analyst and instructor, told THISDAY that NCAA is doing so much to regulate the industry.

“But political interference is more than it used to be and this dilutes effectiveness,” he said.

According to him, it is to guarantee the independence of NCAA that it was decided that it would be funded by travellers, hence the introduction of five per cent ticket sales charge and five per cent cargo sales charge because for the agency to be independence, it must be self-funded.

“Although this idea is good, it is retarding the growth of the industry because these charges have added to the cost of flight ticket, which has gone beyond the income of some Nigerians who hitherto travelled by air. This has added to the reduction in the number of people that travel by air. Yet, NCAA is not independent. The five per cent charge has grown so big that other agencies like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) are sharing from the ticket and cargo sales charge.

“NCAA is not really independent; yet, it is the same President who appoints the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that also appoints the Director General of NCAA. So, I think the independence of NCAA is being diluted. They say one who pays the piper dictates the tune but this time it is the public that is paying NCAA, but government is dictating the tune,’ he said.

However, he also conceded that the independence of NCAA was also dependent on the character of the Director General, remarking that the former Director General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, was the last head of the agency that exhibited a high level of independence.

“He was there at the beginning. The whole world was watching. But you know government, they can have a lot of patience. When Captain Fola Akinkuotu was removed as DG, NCAA, without completing his tenure, the erosion of independence of the NCAA began to take hold,” he added.

But beyond government interference, industry observers have alleged that part of the laxity could be attributed to the management of NCAA. Insiders that carried out investigation in the agency, last year, accused the organisation of having senior officials that have compromised their responsibilities.

In a document, the insiders made available to the public, they alleged: “These issues go far beyond bureaucratic lapses; they strike at the heart of air safety. When oversight becomes compromised, the consequences can be deadly; not only for passengers in flight but also for people on the ground who may one day become victims of a preventable crash. This is not a political matter. It is a national emergency that affects everyone, including the elite who travel by private jets.

“When an organisation without genuine capability is permitted to maintain aircraft, the risk is not immediate — but it is inevitable. Faulty maintenance can take months or years before manifesting as a mechanical failure or a fatal crash. Aviation history has repeatedly shown that neglected oversight today can result in catastrophe tomorrow. According to multiple industry sources, one such compromised approval is already linked to a serious incident that occurred two years ago (Jabiru J430 (5N-CCQ).”

Speaking, career pilot, aeronautical engineer and former Director General of NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, told THISDAY that despite the pressure, the DG of NCAA could stand his ground when he is faced with what he thinks is not appropriate. “He can reject such request because NCAA is a regulatory authority that subjects itself to what the law says (Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation).

“The issue is competence and enforcement because our laws are not weak. The director general does not have to follow any directive. When I was DG, if you bring anything that does not follow the law I will reject it because you cannot sack me for not doing what is illegal. Nobody can tell the DG to circumvent the laws, but the DG has the power to waive anything that he wants,” Akinkuotu who was also former Managing Director of NAMA said.

He also noted that whatever is said about government, it must be noted that government policies are documented and they can never undermine the regulation or compromise safety regulations.

But there is an agreement among the industry insiders who spoke to THISDAY that NCAA must reinforce its regulatory oversight and scrutinise airlines more in order to forestall a possible tragic incident that may occur in future.

One of the stakeholders who spoke about the Wednesday’s major incident involving Arik Air flight, said that the incident could have been worst, “and that would have been disastrous to Nigeria, not just the airline.” He noted that if the blaze in the engine had hit the horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft tail it would have stalled, leading to tragic outcome. He commended the pilot for returning the aircraft and landing in time at the Benin airport.

 “Our system needs overhauling. It is not just NCAA but the industry needs to be overhauled, including the airlines, the agencies so that we can stem potential catastrophes and make the industry safer,” he said.