The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned that plans to reduce its statutory share of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) could undermine aviation safety and weaken its ability to effectively regulate Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The warning comes as the National Assembly considers a bill seeking to reduce the NCAA’s share of the TSC in favour of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
Under the existing arrangement, the NCAA collects the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and distributes the proceeds among key aviation agencies, including NAMA, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said any reduction in the authority’s funding would directly affect its regulatory responsibilities and could ultimately compromise passenger safety.
“The NCAA needs more funding, not less. If you weaken the regulator financially, you weaken safety oversight. Aviation regulators all over the world are adequately funded because they are responsible for protecting lives,” he said.
