Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, SAN, has clarified that the House of Representatives did not formally request the revocation of a private airstrip license granted to Bishop David Oyedepo.
Keyamo addressed the matter Friday morning in a post on social media platform X, countering reports suggesting lawmakers had called for the airstrip’s closure.
In his statement, Keyamo explained that the matter stemmed from a motion moved by a member of the House, which was then referred to the Aviation Committee for further review, rather than a direct request from the House as a whole.
The minister acknowledged the patriotic motives behind the motion, which raised concerns about potential security risks but argued that it reflected a misunderstanding of Nigeria’s strict airspace regulations.
Keyamo outlined the extensive regulatory oversight for private airstrips, explaining that airstrip owners are responsible for constructing basic facilities like runways and terminals. However, the control tower and airspace management are strictly overseen by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). All flights in and out of Nigeria must have NAMA’s prior clearance, a process which includes mandatory stops at international airports for screening before proceeding to other airstrips.
Keyamo emphasized that unscheduled flights through private airstrips without government approval are not permitted, citing the NAMA Act, which grants the Federal Government exclusive control of Nigerian airspace.
He thanked the member of parliament for their patriotism but suggested that consulting aviation officials before proposing such a motion might have clarified these points. Keyamo concluded by sharing constitutional provisions on Nigerian airstrip operations to provide the public with a clearer understanding of the regulations.