…Explains how airstrips work in Nigeria
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has clarified that the House of Representatives did not ask him to revoke the license granted to Bishop David Oyedepo to operate an airstrip.
In a Friday morning post on X @fkeyamo, and in apparent reaction to the news that suggested that the federal lawmakers had tabled the request before him, Keyamo explained that the lawmakers only referred a motion moved on the floor of the House by a member to the appropriate committee for further action. He then thoroughly explained how airstrips operate in the country.
While nothing the patriotic fervour of the lawmaker who moved the motion on the ground of possible insecurity, Keyamo argued that it was largely done from the point of ignorance. He went ahead to post a photo-grab of the extant constitutional provisions regarding the operation of an airstrip in Nigeria, saying nothing flies in and out of Nigeria through any airports or airstrips without the approval of the federal government of Nigeria.
The lengthy post reads:
” I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip. I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it. Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector. By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied. The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations. It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services. No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land. And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation. I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion. I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
