15TH July, 2026
Aviation experts have expressed divergent views over calls to commercialize or privatize the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) as a solution to its funding challenges. The debate followed a proposal by the Joint Action Committee of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which argued that commercializing or privatizing NAMA would enable the agency to operate more efficiently and improve safety.
In a statement issued last week, the committee, through the branch secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Obasi Ugwumba, the branch secretary of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Salami Adeniyi, and others, said the move would unlock access to private equity, private financing, international bonds and capital markets.
According to the committee, such funding would provide the resources required for NAMA to rapidly deploy next-generation air navigation technologies.
However, a former pilot, Mohammed Badamasi, opposed the proposal, arguing that Nigeria is not yet ready for such a model.
He said while some countries have partnerships between government air navigation agencies and private firms, there is no country where a private company controls a nation’s airspace.
“We have the European Union, where there is a system of national airspace management with partnerships involving private companies, but not an entirely privatised airspace. I do not agree with the suggestion that NAMA should be privatised. It is simply not feasible because there is no country in the world where a national airspace is controlled by a private company.
“This is a sovereign state, and everything concerning the country’s airspace must be monitored by those responsible for safety and oversight.
“The money generated from the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and other sources should be shared more favourably with NAMA,” he added.
On the other hand, former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, supported privatisation, saying it could significantly improve operational efficiency.
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“If you want efficiency, you privatise. London Gatwick Airport is recognised as the world’s most efficient single-runway airport, regularly handling between 55 and 60 aircraft movements per hour.
“Its control tower operations are privatised, with Air Navigation Solutions managing the tower while NATS handles broader en-route airspace. Efficiency is achieved through an integrated approach using advanced tracking and spacing technologies,” he said.
Addressing concerns that privatisation or commercialisation could compromise aviation safety, Caulcrick maintained that the NCAA, as the industry’s regulator, would continue to provide the necessary oversight.
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“There is a regulator to maintain safety both in the cockpits and in airspace control: the NCAA,” he said.
Very impressive.
Source: www.vanguardngr.com/2026/07/funding-concerns-aviation-experts-divided-over-privatisation-of-nama/