Chukwu David 
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has expressed its readiness to implement stricter enforcement measures to confront the growing burden of poor compliance with financial regulatory standards and obligations by airlines.
According to a statement on Saturday from the NCAA‘s Media Office in Abuja, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo gave this indication at the 2025 Civil Aviation Cost Recovery Optimisation Stakeholders Retreat held in Lagos on Friday.
The theme of the retreat is: “Strengthening Collaboration for Revenue Optimisation and Operational Efficiency”.
Capt. Najomo, represented by the Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards (DOLTS), Capt. Donald Spiff, in his speech, condemned the persistent failure of some airlines to meet their financial obligations, describing the trend as a major threat to the sector’s stability.
He, therefore, disclosed that the NCAA would 100 introduce a Zero Debt Strategy beginning January 2026, consisting of mandatory Advance Payment Guarantees (APG) from airlines to address rising indebtedness to the Authority.
This new framework, according to Capt. Najomo will strengthen accountability, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure sustainable growth in line with the Federal Government’s economic agenda and the strategic initiatives of the Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN) in terms of revenue optimisation and the growth of the aviation sector.
The Programme was coordinated by the NCAA Directorate of Finance and Accounts (DFA) led by Mr Olufemi Odukoya, in collaboration with Javier Technologies Limited.
