House did not call for licence revoke any airstrip - Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has said the House of Reps as a body did not call on him to revoke the license of any private airstrip.

This is coming after some reports alleged that the House of Reps revoked the license of some private airstrips.

“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 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 airstrips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied. The responsibility of the owners of private airstrips 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 Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) 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,” Keyamo stated in his X handle.

He noted that it is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in all airports and airstrips, noting that the private airstrip owners pay the federal government handsomely for these services.

The minister hinted that no object flies into Nigeria without prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan (e.g. where it is taking off from and where it intends to land).

The minister added that he has recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country to first land at the 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.

Keyamo said 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.”

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.