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NCAA Clarifies U.S. Delisting of Nigerian Airlines, Cites Lack of Direct Flights
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has responded to recent reports regarding the removal of Nigerian airlines from the list of those authorised to operate flights to the United States. This clarification was made in a statement by the NCAA’s Acting Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo, on Monday.
The delisting of Nigerian airlines, including notable carriers like Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines, which had plans to fly routes to Washington and Houston, Texas, has caused significant concern.
The restriction came as a result of the loss of Nigeria’s Category One status certification, which is essential for airlines to maintain direct operations to the U.S.
However, Capt. Najomo provided clarity on the situation, explaining that the decision to delist Nigerian airlines was not linked to any safety or security deficiencies in the country’s aviation oversight system.
Instead, the delisting occurred because Nigerian airlines had not operated direct flights to the U.S. for two consecutive years leading up to September 2022.
“No Nigerian operator has provided service into the United States using a Nigerian-registered aircraft for two years before September 2022,” Najomo stated.
“As a result, it was expected that Nigeria would be removed from the list, just as other nations in similar situations were. The NCAA had been duly informed of this action back in 2022.”
Najomo further emphasised that Nigeria had undergone thorough safety and security audits by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
These audits found no Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) or Significant Security Concerns (SSeC), confirming that Nigeria’s aviation sector met international standards in these areas.
The acting director’s statement aims to address concerns and reassure the public that the delisting is purely an administrative consequence of airlines’ lack of recent operations to the U.S., rather than any fault or shortcoming in Nigeria’s aviation safety and security protocols.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid tribute to late Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, recalling his contributions to the creative industry and his impact on Nigeria’s cultural identity.
In his tribute, Tinubu described Jacobs as a giant of the Nigerian creative industry and said “He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry. His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts. His remarkable body of work will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
“The nation recognises the enormous contributions of Nigeria’s creative practitioners to the country’s cultural identity, global image and economic development. Olu Jacobs played a big role in creating this identity.”
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun. No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise.”
Adeyanju also called out NAFDAC over what he described as failures in regulating the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
It can be noted that various counterfeit products continue to circulate in Nigerian markets, while NAFDAC has also reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and substandard products.
Lagosians have lamented heavy traffic caused by ongoing construction work at Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government announced that repairs on the damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge would begin on September 8, 2026. The project, initially scheduled to begin in August, was delayed to allow further traffic management planning due to concerns over its impact on motorists.
Since work began, traffic around the Kara area has become heavy, with Lagosians sharing updates on social media about spending two hours or more on the road.
Some commuters say the delays have made their 9-to-5 routines difficult, with several hours spent travelling to and from work.
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