A ministerial task force investigating illegal private charter operations has revealed that Nigeria has lost more than ₦120 billion in revenue over the past decade due to unauthorized charter flights, weak enforcement, and regulatory loopholes in the aviation sector.
The report, commissioned by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, highlights major concerns such as security risks, lack of interagency cooperation, and outdated policies that hinder the sector’s progress.
According to the findings, “Over the past decade, Nigeria lost an estimated ₦120bn in statutory revenue from the sector due to regulatory loopholes.”
Several prominent entities were listed in the report, including Arik Air Ltd, BUA International Limited, Dominion Air Limited, Executive Jets Services, Max Air Ltd, Rivers State Government, Julius Berger Nig. Ltd, and Nestoil Plc.
Recommended Reforms to Curb Illegal Charters
To address the issue, the task force has proposed several key reforms. One significant recommendation is the restructuring and potential closure of the General Aviation Terminal in Abuja, which has been identified as a security weak point.
Additionally, the controversial 22-year aircraft age limit—which has been criticized for limiting industry growth—is set to be repealed.
The report also calls for stricter oversight by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure full compliance with aviation regulations. To enhance accountability, a **licensing framework for air charter brokers** will be introduced to increase transparency.
“By implementing these measures, Nigeria can restore regulatory integrity, enhance safety, and position its aviation sector for long-term sustainability and global competitiveness,” the report stated.
Industry Experts Question Enforcement Efforts
Despite the task force’s recommendations, industry experts remain skeptical about enforcement. Aviation security specialist John Ojikutu, CEO of Centurion Security Limited, dismissed the initiative, blaming regulatory authorities for their failure to act.
“Most of these charter aircraft are owned by political office holders or people who have something to do with it. It’s an indictment on the NCAA. When you’re talking about enforcement of regulation, it’s the NCAA,” he said.
He also raised concerns about foreign-registered aircraft operating illegally in Nigeria.
“Most of these charter flights are foreign-registered aircraft. Have you been able to identify them? Who brought them in? What is the regulation on foreign-registered aircraft operating in this country? In my days, they could not operate for more than three months. There were specific airports they had to go to. If you brought them in, they had to stay at the customs airport. That was the law in those days.”
Ojikutu further alleged that high-profile individuals are shielding illegal operators, making enforcement difficult.
“All these foreign-registered aircraft are the ones doing these illegal flights. And they cannot run after them because they are all political officers or political friends. So all these things they are doing now—I want to see how they want to collect ₦150bn, or even ₦100bn, or even ₦50bn from them,” he added.
He challenged authorities to first identify illegal aircraft before attempting to recover lost revenue.
“First of all, identify those aircraft that are doing these illegal flights. Who owns them? When they have flight plans to go anywhere, NAMA should not clear them. But these aircraft are still flying all over the place. I am told that there are over 100 of them in this country.”
Call for Better Coordination and Digital Oversight
Aviation analyst Olumide Ohunayo, a member of the Aviation Round Table, acknowledged regulatory failures and called for a coordinated effort to monitor illegal activities.
“The most important thing here is that we have accepted there was failure and lapses in the system and protocol in place. And we have also accepted that before operations, even the process of bringing in those aircraft also had loopholes that were exploited by these illegal operators,” he noted.
He stressed the need for interagency collaboration.
“In doing this, there must be that synergy between the agencies—NAMA, the airport authorities, and the NCAA. It’s not going to be left to the regulator alone.”
Ohunayo also advocated for digitalizing aviation operations to improve transparency.
“We’re asking to move almost every operational activity online and introduce IT. That way, people can know which aircraft is taking off to where, and even if you don’t catch them immediately, within a month, the records will expose discrepancies.”
Additionally, he urged customs authorities to strengthen oversight of aircraft importation and operations.
“Yes, they woke up late to see how the law had been breached. Now that they’ve woken up, good morning to them. I expect them to work together to join the synergy too.”
Challenges in Proving Illegal Operations
A source familiar with the industry highlighted the difficulty in proving illegal charter activities, explaining how private aircraft owners disguise commercial operations.
“PNCF holders are flying more than licensed operators. Something like ‘hire and reward’ is not clearly defined. So when you say someone has undertaken a commercial work for hire and reward, how do you prove it?”
The source added that payments for illegal charters are often made in cash and through proxies, making it difficult to track transactions.
“If you pay me $10,000 and you see $7,000 in my account, you can’t say that’s the same money. So a lot of little loopholes exist. The recommendation is to tighten those loopholes that these people are exploiting.”
Some private aircraft owners also manipulate the system by claiming their planes are for personal use while engaging in commercial activities.
“Some of the people came and said, ‘Oh, our directors use the aircraft. And they use it with their friends.’ If you have three directors, and each director has a couple of friends and they fly together or separately, an aircraft that should be doing 10 hours a month can do maybe 100. And they claim it’s for private use.”
Legal enforcement remains a challenge due to unclear definitions.
“If you go to court, a smart lawyer will argue that what they say we did is not what we did. And then it’s on you who took them to court to prove it. But you can’t prove it because you don’t have any evidence.”
Government’s Efforts to Address the Issue
In June 2024, Festus Keyamo established a ministerial task force to tackle illegal private charter operations. The task force was tasked with identifying private non-commercial flight holders and air operator certificate holders.
This decision was driven by growing concerns from licensed charter operators regarding money laundering, illegal drug trafficking, and security reports from intelligence agencies.
The task force was given three months to conduct an inventory of all private charter operators and present its findings to the ministry.
While the recommendations aim to reform the aviation sector, industry stakeholders stress that without strict enforcement, the cycle of illegal private jet operations will continue to cost Nigeria billions in lost revenue.
