The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, criticized the motion proposed by the House of Representatives for the Aviation Ministry to revoke the licenses of private airstrips, stating it stems from a lack of understanding of the aviation industry. In his remarks on Friday, he clarified that while a member of the House moved the motion, the House as a whole did not formally request the revocation of any private airstrip licenses.

Keyamo explained that the primary responsibility of private airstrip owners is to construct the runway and terminal buildings. Once they build the control tower, control is handed over to the Nigerian government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which oversees the entire airspace of Nigeria.

Recent reports indicated that the House of Representatives had called on Keyamo to revoke airstrip licenses granted to entities, including Living Faith Church, due to security concerns. This followed the adoption of an urgent motion titled “Need To Stop Issuance Of Airstrip License To Private Individuals And Organizations In The Country,” proposed by Rep. Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi during a plenary session in Abuja.

Gumi pointed out that Keyamo's office had confirmed the approval of an airstrip for Living Faith Church, located in Ota, Ogun State. The church's founder, Bishop David Oyedepo, mentioned the approval during a special event at Covenant University Chapel.

In response, Keyamo posted on X, stating, “This is not correct. The House of Representatives did not call on me to revoke any private airstrip licenses. A motion was moved regarding this, and it was referred to the Aviation Committee for further consideration.” He acknowledged the patriotism of the motion’s proponent but insisted it was based on a fundamental misunderstanding of aviation regulations.

He elaborated on the procedures surrounding private airstrips, stating, “The owners’ responsibility is to construct the runway and terminal. Once the control tower is built, it is handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA, which maintains comprehensive oversight of Nigeria’s airspace.”

Keyamo noted that a Memorandum of Understanding is typically signed with NAMA before an airstrip can begin operations. NAMA provides air traffic controllers and engineers at all airports and airstrips, and private airstrip owners compensate the Federal Government for these services.

“No aircraft can enter Nigeria without prior clearance from NAMA and a filed flight plan detailing its departure and destination,” he emphasized. He recently directed that all incoming aircraft must first land at international airports for processing before proceeding to local destinations.

“It is completely impossible for any private airstrip owner to operate freely without the Federal Government’s authorization,” he added. Keyamo encouraged the member who moved the motion to reach out for clarification before presenting such proposals and provided the NAMA Act, which designates exclusive control of Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA, for public reference.