Aviation experts warn that Nigeria’s aviation sector faces serious risks without urgent reforms in infrastructure, regulation, and sustainable financing

Professionals across the industry on Monday warned that Nigeria’s aviation sector risks severe decline unless urgent reforms are implemented, following interviews conducted nationwide.

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A retired airline captain, Muhammed Badamosi, raised alarm over weak regulation, ageing infrastructure, and poor financing, describing Nigeria’s aviation sector as dangerously stagnant.

Badamosi said the industry’s progress resembled “one step forward and two steps backwards,” adding that little had changed in over a decade.

“In infrastructure, financing, and regulation, nothing has truly improved,” Badamosi said. “We must ask honest questions if progress matters.”

He noted that most major airports still rely on outdated Category 2 Instrument Landing Systems, which the global industry abandoned decades ago.

“Globally, aviation now uses Category 3 systems,” he said. “Nigeria is still stuck on Category 2, more than 20 years behind.”

Badamosi warned that the system performs poorly during severe weather, even under Nigeria’s relatively mild conditions.

He also criticised deteriorating runways, taxiways, and the absence of full radar coverage under the Terminal Radar Approach Control system.

“These are core safety assets,” he said. “Without them, safety is compromised.”

Another major concern was the continued operation of ageing, second-hand aircraft, which he linked to recent landing and taxiing incidents.

“Some incidents should never have happened,” Badamosi said, alleging regulatory compromise within the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

He criticised prolonged inspector tenures, noting that extended stays increase the risk of compromised oversight.

“The policy exists for safety,” he said. “Training costs are nothing compared to the cost of a crash.”

Badamosi also described federal funding as grossly inadequate, citing a reported aviation allocation of N714bn.

“Aviation is capital-intensive,” he said. “That figure cannot support safety and growth.”

He proposed airport concessioning to reduce government burden and improve efficiency.

“If Nigeria wants global respect, concessioning is unavoidable,” he said.

Also speaking, Dr Yinka Folami, President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, questioned claims that airlines pay 18 government taxes per ticket.

Folami said the claim was unfamiliar to industry professionals with decades of fare construction experience.

“Leadership demands facts,” he said. “Let us interrogate these claims, not speculate.”

He dismissed taxation as the cause of fare hikes, citing unchanged tax structures during recent price increases.

“Government taxes did not change,” Folami said. “Airline pricing decisions did.”

Travel analyst Lucky George attributed high fares to limited airline capacity serving a population exceeding 200 million.

“Demand is strong,” he said. “Supply is the real problem.”

George argued for the revival of a national carrier, stating that local airlines lack sufficient scale.

Aviation expert Olumide Ohunayo called for stronger institutional collaboration and prosecution of unruly passenger offences.

“Media exposure is not justice,” he said. “The law must follow through.”

Ohunayo also urged government support for aircraft acquisition and local Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facilities.

“These steps will expand capacity and reduce fares,” he said, describing current constraints as critical.

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Industry observers agree that without decisive action, Nigeria’s aviation sector faces an uncertain and potentially perilous future.