Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has approved a redeployment of key directors within the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), targeting critical safety oversight roles in response to recent aircraft incidents and reported regulatory lapses.
The changes see Engineer Godwin Gyang Balang moved from Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards to head the Directorate of Airworthiness Standards, a unit central to ensuring aircraft meet safety requirements. In his place, Alhaji Ahmad Abba, previously Director of Special Duties at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has taken over the Aerodrome and Airspace Standards role. Balang assumed his new position at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja earlier this week.
According to reports, the reshuffle follows allegations of inefficiencies in the Airworthiness Standards Directorate, highlighted by documents circulated by concerned insiders. These claims point to potential compromises in certification processes and maintenance oversight, raising questions about compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
The timing aligns with two notable aircraft incidents investigated by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). On 14 December 2025, a Hawker 800XP aircraft, registered 5N-ISB and operated by Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited, experienced a nose landing gear collapse during landing at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano. The flight, carrying eight people from Abuja, reported a gear indication anomaly, but all on board escaped unhurt, as confirmed by NSIB statements.
Two days later, on 16 December 2025, a Cessna 172 aircraft, registered 5N-ASR and operated by Skypower Express, crash-landed and somersaulted on approach to Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri. The four occupants were hospitalised but survived, with the NSIB launching a probe into the emergency diversion from a Kaduna-to-Port Harcourt route.
The Directorate of Airworthiness Standards plays a pivotal role in Nigerian aviation safety. It oversees aircraft registration, issuance of Certificates of Airworthiness, approval of maintenance organisations, and enforcement of ongoing compliance to prevent risks to passengers and crew. Any perceived weaknesses here could undermine public confidence in air travel, especially as Nigeria works to maintain its Category One status under the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s International Aviation Safety Assessment programme.
Minister Keyamo, in comments earlier in December, acknowledged receipt of the alleging documents and pledged a thorough investigation, emphasising that air safety would not be compromised under his watch. While the minister’s media aide described the redeployments as routine for administrative efficiency, sources within the ministry indicated that changes at this level are seldom coincidental, particularly in a department where “safety either stands or collapses.”
