Shake-up in NCAA’s airworthiness: Why Keyamo acted?

The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has reshuffled some directorates in the agencies with the Director of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS) at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) redeployed to the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). The NCAA is the apex aviation regulatory agency which oversees all aspects of civil aviation. Daily Trust learnt that […]

The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has reshuffled some directorates in the agencies with the Director of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS) at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) redeployed to the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

The NCAA is the apex aviation regulatory agency which oversees all aspects of civil aviation.

Daily Trust learnt that the reshuffling in the NCAA approved by the Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo followed some regulatory lapses brought to his attention.

As part of the reshuffle, Engr. Isaac Balang was moved from the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS) to Airworthiness, one of the highly technical directorates in the NCAA while Alhaji Ahmad Abba assumed office as the new Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards.

Sources in the Ministry confirmed to our correspondent that the movement within the airworthiness standards was more than an administrative exercise.

It was learnt that some former officials of the airworthiness standard had alerted over some regulatory missteps in the directorate which could threaten air safety.

DAWS is a highly technical directorate which ensures civil aircraft are safe and meet high standards by overseeing certification, maintenance, and compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules.

The directorate also handles aircraft registration, issuing Certificates of Airworthiness, approving Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MROs) and developing technical standards to keep aircraft airworthy.

Recent incidents involving some private jets have called to question the efficiency of the directorate.

Some of the documents reportedly made public alleged some questionable approvals for private jet operators and one of such aircraft was involved in an incident.

The former staff pointed at what they called “erosion of competence” within the Directorate of Airworthiness.

“If the NCAA were required today to conduct a comprehensive audit of all Approved Maintenance Organisations (AMOs), the question would no longer be whether the AMOs are compliant, but whether the NCAA itself still has enough qualified and uncompromised inspectors capable of conducting such an exercise with integrity.”

According to them, the “individuals currently entrusted with ensuring compliance and safety in aircraft maintenance are, in some cases, the very architects of the corruption they are meant to police.”

“The result is a regulatory system that is compromised from within, one where technical evaluation, certification, and oversight are often determined by influence rather than competence. To restore confidence in the system, token disciplinary actions will no longer suffice. The time has come for a complete institutional overhaul of the NCAA’s airworthiness and AMO oversight functions,” the former staff said.

They said there must be a root-and-branch reform of the Directorate’s staffing, recruitment, and oversight processes to cleanse the system of embedded corruption and rebuild the professionalism that once defined the Authority.”

 

Following the development, the Minister, having gotten wind of the documents, ordered an investigation into the documents and the allegations therein.

 

While this is still on, he also approved the reshuffle of the directorate, bringing in Balang who was once the General Manager, Airworthiness Standards in the directorate.

 

“He is expected to oversee a complete overhaul of the directorate,” a source said.

 

Similarly, the new DAAS Director was redeployed from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) where he served as the Director of Special Duties.

 

With the new appointment of Alhaji Ahmad Abba to DAAS, Engr. Balang now moves to the Directorate of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS) as the director.

 

He takes over from the immediate past Director, Engr. Victor Goyea who would be taking a new role at NAMA.

 

At a brief ceremony held at the Director-General’s Board Room at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters Abuja, Balang stressed that he is not oblivious of the critical role of the directorate.

 

He also welcomed the new Director of Aerodrome, briefing him on the role of the directorate and its centrality to aviation safety.

 

Responding after the handover, Abba promised to sustain the achievements in DAAS.

 

He said based on his previous experiences, especially as former DAAS staff, and his experience at NAMA, sustaining the achievements in the directorate would not be difficult.

 

Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Tunde Moshood in a chat with our correspondent said the result was just “to enhance regulatory processes and nothing serious.” “For effectiveness, you just need to rotate some staff,” he added.