Kehinde Fajobi
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that private planes in Nigeria, including those belonging to prominent individuals like Bishop David Oyedepo, cannot depart the country directly from private airstrips without securing clearance from the relevant authorities.
Keyamo made this assertion on Sunday during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.
His remarks follow recent concerns raised by the House of Representatives over the security implications of private airstrip operations.
The lawmakers had urged the federal government to revoke certain airstrip licences granted to individuals and private organisations while halting the issuance of new ones.
However, Keyamo emphasised that the current protocols ensure thorough oversight and compliance with aviation regulations.
He explained, “Oh yes, absolutely. That’s no problem. They were only concerned about the fact that they thought that somebody can take off from a private airstrip and fly out of Nigeria or fly into Nigeria. It is not possible.”
The minister further clarified that all flights, whether private or commercial, must pass through international airports for mandatory checks.
“You must land in an international airport first. Then the Customs, immigration and NDLEA will process you before you take off from there to your private airstrip.
“If you are also flying out, you must land at an international airport. You will go through Customs, immigration and all the normal process before flying out,” he said.
Keyamo added, “So nobody uses an airstrip for any such purpose without seeking clearance. At every point in time, the authorities must approve.”
When asked about the number of airstrips in the country, the minister revealed that there are currently over 40 in operation.
“We have a number of them, more than 40. For the federal airport, we have 23. The state airport has about eight or nine now. And then the airstrips are about 40 or thereabouts. I have been there myself,” Keyamo stated.
His comments aim to reassure the public that strict aviation protocols are in place to address security concerns and regulate private airstrip operations.