Experts seek strict regulation for Nigeria’s 92 airstrips
Following recent disclosure by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that there are over 92 airstrips in Nigeria with most of them operating without permit, experts and stakeholders in the aviation industry have called for strict regulatory oversight of the airstrips to ensure the safety of the airspace and the security of Nigeria. Speaking during […]
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo
Following recent disclosure by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that there are over 92 airstrips in Nigeria with most of them operating without permit, experts and stakeholders in the aviation industry have called for strict regulatory oversight of the airstrips to ensure the safety of the airspace and the security of Nigeria.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement with airstrip owners and operators organised by the authority in Lagos recently, the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), NCAA, Engr Godwin Balang, said the authority will from January 1, 2026, sanction any domestic airport, including airstrip that has no valid operational permit.
Balang noted that there are 92 airstrips in Nigeria, and the federal government manages 68, while 24 belong to individuals and private organisations but most of them are not licensed.
What are airstrips?
Airstrip is like a mini airport designed for takeoff and landing of aircraft. An airstrip caters primarily for smaller aircraft and it usually has a single, shorter runway compared to an airport which has the full complement of facilities for commercial operation.
The 92 airstrips operating in Nigeria are in addition to the existing federal and state airports.
Amid concerns over their regulation, Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, announced tightened oversight anchored on the Civil Aviation Act 2022.
“These airstrips are lifelines for rural communities,” said NCAA Director General Captain Chris Najomo.
Speaking further, Capt. Balang said, “Section 71 of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 mandates accountability.” Sixty-eight federally managed airstrips and 24 private ones require streamlined oversight. Balang warned that unlicensed airports face sanctions by 2026, calling it a “collective resolve, not a threat.”
Balang reiterated the urgency of balancing federal and private interests. “Collaboration is non-negotiable,” he said, noting 55% of airstrips are non-operational.
Daily Trust reports that the federal government had made a budgetary provision for the construction of new airstrips.
For instance, in the 2024 budget, the federal government allocated over N3bn on the development of new airstrips and rehabilitation of existing ones spread across the country as contained in the budget of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
The airstrips are in Funtua, Kaduna; Umuahia, Abia and others.
In addition to the new ones, the government also allocates substantial money in the budget for the rehabilitation of other airstrips like those of Hadejia, Jigawa; Bida, Niger; Irrua-Edo, Edo State; Kontagora, Niger and Uli-Okija airstrip, Enugu.
However, the projects did not take off due to paucity of funds while they were replicated in the 2025 budget.
Daily Trust reports that the operation of airstrips in Nigeria has been very problematic in terms of the management.
For instance, the existing Osubi airport, which is now dormant, was always shut down by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) over indebtedness.
Also, there were security concerns amid inadequate oversight and monitoring of the airstrips.
Recently, there were concerns over the airstrip approved for Living Faith (Winners Chapel) with the government clarifying that it would be managed by the federal government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
Members of the House of Representatives had advocated the revocation of airstrip licences issued to certain individuals and private organisations, citing security reasons.
The house also called for an immediate halt to new airstrip licences for individuals and organisations.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance led by the representative of Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, Abubakar Gumi.
Keyamo had clarified that the owners of private airstrips are responsible for constructing the runway and terminal buildings, but once a control tower is built, the airstrip would be handed over to the federal government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
“An MOU is typically signed with NAMA before any airstrip can begin operations. NAMA is responsible for providing air traffic controllers and engineers at all airports and airstrips across Nigeria.
“No aircraft can enter Nigerian airspace without prior clearance from NAMA, which includes filing a detailed flight plan,” Keyamo added.
We need more airstrips but… – Experts
Aviation security analyst, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, rtd, in a chat with our correspondent cautioned that regulatory enforcement and monitoring must be considered in developing more airstrips.
He stated that airstrips can be approved for corporate and economic services.
Ojikutu said, “For National Security reasons, the Commercial Airports and the Private Airstrips are government regulated and must be registered.
“Do we need 92 Airstrips for private or corporate in Nigeria depends on demands and regulations enforcement and capacity of the Regulatory Authority to oversee their services.
“How many of the 36 States in Nigeria have Airports for the citizens and the corporate services and economy? Imagine Kogi State with its economic value in cement and iron ore with no airport except the nearer Abuja, Ilorin, and Benin none of which is less than two hours to the capital in bad roads.
“If the FG and the state governments cannot build airports, what stops the responsible aviation authorities from approving two airstrips, one for Corporate/Economic Services and the other private?
“A state like Lagos deserves two or three more airports, otherwise Airstrips in Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe. So is Abuja, Ogun State, Oyo, etc. Not necessarily for passengers but for corporate and Economic Services especially for Agro, medical and food products services.”
‘Airstrips may be used for illegal operations if…’
Former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, stated that there is nothing wrong with having more airstrips if they are well regulated.
He said airstrips could be used to carry out illegal operations if they are not regulated.
He noted that America has almost 92,000 airstrips, emphasising that there is nothing wrong with having more airstrips as long as they can be policed.
He said, “But unfortunately NCAA is not involved in those airstrips, it’s the ministry, it’s directly under the minister, whether they maintain it or not I don’t know but then it’s these same airstrips that mainly facilitate illegal operations like all those illegal mining and they are not regulated because they are not under NCAA, it’s under the ministry. So, the ministry can say okay this is an airstrip, show us the land, give us the map and that’s it.
“America has almost 92,000, the number is not the problem as long as we can police them and again a lot of people are trying to run away from bandits on the road so that the more we have the better at least to mitigate the dangers of what we have on the road.
“Our roads are not too good anyway, but it’s a good opportunity to develop general aviation really but then it has to be regulated, once you can get the regulation, it gets better but the way it is, it is not regulated.
“The airports we have, because of the charges, most of these ones are just class runways and all, if I’m flying Cessna 172, if there’s an airstrip that is closer and cheaper why do I have to go to an airport?”
‘We need more operational airstrips’
Also speaking, the General Secretary of Aviation Roundtable, Olumide Ohunayo, also shared a similar sentiment, saying 92 is not enough and more should be encouraged.
“Well 92 is not enough, smaller countries like Kenya have about 300, we need more airstrips and they need to be licensed and issued appropriately for businesses and organisations who also deal with travels and can afford and maintain it, also tourist cities and centres.
“Airstrips should be encouraged, that helps to give more activities for the non-scheduled sector and also for air taxis to increase flights along that corridor which gives more use of the airspace that will improve usage and experience for the young pilots, it helps almost all professionals in the operational sector to at least build their hours both in flying and landing professionally while trying to get into the mainstream flight.
“So, it’s good to have operational airstrips not the one that will be abandoned and now be used by bandits and kidnappers as a den or used for illegal operations, they must be all licensed, regulated and monitored 24 hours to ensure that the usage is not abused and also for the safety of those who are using it. So, I support licensing of these airfields and airstrips.”