Keen observers among stakeholders cannot fail to feel the wind of positive change blowing across the safety end of the Nigerian aviation industry since Captain Chris Ona Najomo assumed office as the Acting Director General (DG), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Najomo’s tenure has been a breath of fresh air for the NCAA and the Nigerian aviation sector as a whole. He has demonstrated a depth of unequal professionalism, leadership, industry, experience, and managerial excellence in the discharge of his duties and this has made him an invaluable asset to the nation’s aviation industry. His Midas touch is evident in the agency’s improved workforce morale, enhanced operational efficiency, and elevated air safety standards.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), established under Section 8 (3) of Civil Aviation Act 2022, is the sole civil aviation regulatory body in Nigeria. The Act not only empowers the Authority to regulate aviation safety without political interference but to also carry out oversight functions of Airports, Airspace, Meteorological Services, etc. as well as economic regulations of the industry. NCC uses a series of well- coordinated procedures, including inspection, operation, certification, licensing, monitoring, sanction and enforcement, in ensuring safety and economic regulatory standards in the aviation industry.
Since Capt. Najomo assumed leadership of NCAA as Acting Director General, he has changed the face of aviation safety regulation and management in Nigeria through the introducion of various regulatory initiatives and compliance enforcement measures. For instance, to put the agency on a sound financial footing to discharge it’s mandate, Najomo initiated measures to recover the huge debt it was being owed by airlines. He declared a ‘no pay, no service’ sanction on defaulting airlines, thereby compelling debtor airlines to commence payment of their debt.
In 2024, Najomo implemented a safety and economic audit of all private jet operations in Nigeria. Private jet operators were given 72 hours to submit relevant documents for re-evaluation by NCAA. This followed the high prevalence of illegal operations by private jet owners holding a Permit For Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF). The permit forbids the owners from using their aircraft for hire and reward. The intention was to prevent the loss of revenue in addition to exposing the passengers to risk since the aircraft do not possess comprehensive insurance in the event of an accident or incident. In the process, several violators were suspended and NCAA officials were deployed to General Aviation Terminals (GAT) and private wings of the airports to monitor activities of the PNCF holders.
The NCAA has made daring moves to increase operational effectiveness and openness under Najomo’s leadership. One such is the creation of the Project Monitoring and Contract Evaluation Unit (PMCEU) for the first time in the agency’s history. This unit ensures probity and transparency in the execution of projects, reflecting Najomo’s commitment to accountability and good governance.
He also set up a dedicated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) unit to aid and accelerate the country’s quest to control and coordinate the increasing numbers of the use of the technology in Nigeria. The Director General also liberalized the registration and issuance of certificates for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, (UAVs) and drones, restarted audit-compliant airlines like Max Air, and achieved an excellent result in the ICAO security audit and Industrial Peace.
In addition, he created a Quality Assurance Department to promote compliance with technical and non-technical policies within the NCAA. This has been recognised as an initiative that has significantly strengthened the regulatory authority’s ability to uphold international aviation standards, thereby enhancing Nigeria’s reputation in the global aviation industry.
In October 2024, NCAA issued a certificate of accreditation to the Aerodrome Emergency Training School of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, as provider of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) training in Nigeria. The accreditation which is the first to be conducted in Nigeria will enhance safety and standardization of ARFF training across the industry. The benefits of the accreditation to NCAA, the Aviation industry and the nation at large, include enhanced safety and standardization of ARFF training across the industry; strengthened reputation for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT); and increased regulatory compliance.
Under Najomo’s leadership, two international airports in Nigeria were recertified after five years of expiration of certificates. The renewal of the Aerodrome Certificate for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA), marked the first phase of the CAAs action plan for the certification of the aerodromes.
Capt. Najomo has been effective on stakeholder engagements in taking decisions affecting the industry. Several stakeholder meetings, workshops, seminars, enlightenment programmes and strategic collaborative meetings have also been held with various organizations including International Air Transport Association (IATA). Courtesy of the support enjoyed from his Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Mike Achimugu, NCC under Najomo’s leadership has organized aggressive public enlightenment programmes, including roadshows. Worthy of mention was the introducion of the annual Face of Aviation Consumer Protection (FACP) to encourage creativity, passion, dedication to duty and excellence by the staff. It is also part of the rebranding exercise of the Consumer Protection Department, and the Consumer Protection Officers (CPOs), who are the frontline staff of the Authority that interface with passengers on a daily basis and feature the launch of a new dress code. This Directorate was headed by Najomo before his appointment as Acting Director General of NCAA.
It was under Capt Chris Najomo’s watch that the NCAA Consumer Protection Portal was built and launched to solve real-time passenger complaints against airlines. It was part of a fulfillment of Najomo’s action points for 2024, which speaks to the ease of doing business environment that the NCAA is consciously creating. The portal is in line with NCAA’s automation of its processes amid reforms which have taken place under Capt. Najomo. The portal is the DG’s desire to automate the processes at NCAA in line with international standards and represents a significant step in his commitment to safeguard the rights and interests of aviation consumers across our nation.
The DG has also given priority attention to worker’s welfare by fostering a culture of collaboration and understanding between management and workers, leading to increased productivity and efficiency. Capt. Najomo’s leadership style is characterized by his ability to listen to the concerns of workers and take concrete steps to address them. His commitment to the welfare of staff is evident in the numerous initiatives he has undertaken to improve their working conditions. Some of the welfare measures include the payment of rent arrears, continuation of the wage award and improvement in the welfare of contract staff. Others are the increment of contract staff salary through the implementation of the Conditions of Service (CoS), resolution of promotion issues, backlog of rent and allowance, and continuous payment of wage award and payment of 2024 housing allowance.
NCAA’s Regional Office accommodation in Port Harcourt that had been abandoned for two decades was completed and commissioned by Capt. Najomo at the Port Harcourt International Airport in December 2024. The project which began in 2002 remained at carcass level but it took Capt. Najomo less than a year to complete and commission it.
The office oversees operations at key Airports and Airstrips in the region including Port Harcourt, Bayelsa, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Asaba, Anambra, Imo, Calabar, and Warri. Najomo also commissioned the Kano Regional Office in December 2024, with a plan to build a befitting regional office in Enugu. The staff of these offices say the commissioned offices will enhance their morale and confidence which the absence of the offices had affected.
Najomo has been involved in encouraging young people who are aspiring to pursue careers in aviation. At a young aviation career interest programme in October 2024, he counseled young people from different states of Nigeria on how to go about their dreams of becoming professionals in aviation and pledged to assist them by approaching their state governors on scholarship awards possibilities.
Until he assumed leadership of NCAA, Capt. Najomo was the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA. He had previously served as the Director, Air Transport Regulation (2022 to 2023).
Before joining the NCAA, Capt. Najomo was the Chief Pilot at Arik Air and a one-time Managing Director/CEO, Capital Airline, and the Director, FLTOPS, Al’Barkar Airline – Abuja. The thorough-bred aviation professional began his career with an Air Traffic Control Assistant Course in 1980 at the Federal Civil Aviation Authority Training School – Lagos and later obtained his C.P.L/IRMEL from the Airline Training Institute, California, USA. He has several awards and recognitions.
The selection of Captain Chris Ona Najomo by the Top10 magazine as one of the regulatory agency leaders in Nigeria is in recognition of his outstanding achievements as the Acting Director General of NCAA in the efficient delivery on its statutory mandate of regulatory initiatives and oversight, revenue generation and general contribution to the national economy.
