The National Aviation Stakeholders Forum (NASF) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, holding his leadership responsible for failing to avert last week's aviation crisis. In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Engr. Yahaya Yusuf, on Monday, August 17, the forum argued that the disruption to flight schedules, including mass cancellations and forced rescheduling, was avoidable and should not have escalated to the point of industrial action by aviation unions.
NASF Accuses NCAA Leadership of Regulatory Failure
The forum, comprising aviation experts and consultants, placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on the NCAA's leadership, stating that regulatory authorities exist to prevent such breakdowns, not to manage the fallout afterwards. "Leadership is about preventing crises, not merely responding after flights have been grounded," Yusuf said. He added that the recent disruption has raised serious questions about the capacity of the NCAA under Capt. Najomo to effectively regulate and manage the sector, and called for fresh leadership.
"Capt. Najomo should take responsibility and resign in the interest of the aviation industry and the travelling public," Yusuf asserted. The forum's call comes amid a controversy surrounding the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), which has exposed deep concerns about how funds collected from passengers are being managed and remitted across aviation agencies.
NASF Pushes for Full TSC Investigation
Beyond demanding the NCAA chief's exit, NASF urged the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to broaden its ongoing public hearing on the TSC sharing formula into a full investigation of the fund's management. Specifically, the forum asked the committee to obtain records of collections and remittances from airlines, identify outstanding liabilities, examine what enforcement action had been taken against defaulting operators, and scrutinise how agencies had spent funds already received.
"The issue should not be limited to who gets what percentage of the five per cent TSC. Nigerians deserve to know how much has been collected, how much has been remitted and what has happened to the funds," Yusuf said. The group also called for a real-time, technology-driven tracking system for ticket sales, TSC collections and remittances, saying this would close loopholes and reduce the risk of future disruptions.
Impact and Next Steps
The forum did, however, commend the National Assembly for engaging stakeholders on the TSC formula and urged lawmakers to ensure any outcome prioritises transparency and sustainable funding for aviation agencies. Last week's crisis, linked to disputes over the non-remittance and sharing of the statutory TSC fund, caused widespread flight cancellations and rescheduling across Nigerian airports. Normal operations only resumed after the federal government and the National Assembly stepped in to broker a resolution.
Legit.ng previously reported on the industrial action by aviation unions and the federal government's intervention to restore flight activities to normalcy. The NASF's demand for Najomo's resignation and a full TSC investigation now places added pressure on the NCAA and the House of Representatives to address the systemic issues that led to the crisis.
