Ibrahim Suleiman: When revenue threatens regulation – A call on the National Assembly to protect Nigeria’s aviation safety system

The ongoing statement implicit the backing of Nigeria’s aviation agencies deserves the attraction of each stakeholder acrophobic astir the aboriginal of the industry. At the caller National Assembly nationalist hearing, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) reportedly sought, among different things, a reappraisal of the existing revenue-sharing statement and projected that 90 per cent of Aviation Height Clearance (AHC) fees should accrue to NAMA, leaving 10 per cent to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

NAMA’s interest astir sustainable backing is understandable. Air navigation is capital-intensive. Radar systems, connection and navigation facilities, powerfulness infrastructure, software, imported instrumentality and specializer unit necessitate important and continuous investment.

But the solution to an operational backing situation should not make a regulatory information problem.

The Real Funding Question

NAMA itself has reportedly drawn attraction to the information that immoderate of its navigation charges person remained unchanged since 2008, contempt tremendous increases successful overseas speech rates, electricity, equipment, technology, grooming and different operational costs.

That points to the existent contented requiring attention.

If NAMA’s navigation charges nary longer bespeak the outgo of providing m...