Experts Hail Tinubu Over Najomo’s Appointment As NCAA Head

The National Association of Aviation Progressives (NAAP), the most pressure group with a special interest in aviation, has lauded Captain Chris Najomo’s appointment as the substantive Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday urging that Najomo be confirmed as the agency’s substantive DG.

In a letter addressed to the Senate President and read on the floor of the Read chamber on Tuesday, Tinubu urged lawmakers to expedite action on the confirmation process by the Civil Aviation Act of 2022.

Najomo was first appointed Acting DG of the NCAA in December 2023, when President Tinubu suspended Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu from office.

In a statement signed on Wednesday by the President of Aviation Progressives, Engr. Gideon Ogar and Secretary, Chief Aderibigbe Alao, the group acknowledged Najomo’s laudable achievements since he was appointed acting, saying he would surpass Nigerians’ expectations when given the full power to operate.

The group, made up mainly of aviation experts, appreciates President Tinubu for nominating Najomo as substantive DG and calls on the Senate to expedite action to confirm him “as a matter of national importance.”

“For President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to have nominated him for the substantive position of a Director General means he acknowledged the many good works he has been doing at the NCAA since December 2013.

“It means our dear President and other critical stakeholders acknowledge and believe in his good work. We have also monitored the activities around that space since he became the acting DG. We know why the former DG has been suspended and what level of sanity, decorum, transparency, and quality services Captain Chris Najomo brought to bear.

“His stern leadership qualities and insistence on operational services that align with global best practices have reduced corruption and tragedy and helped stamp Nigeria’s aviation system on the international reckoning map. None could have done it better.

“We at the National Association of Aviation Progressives (NAAP) wholeheartedly welcome the appointment of Captain Chris Najomo as substantive DG of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. We appreciate the President for this great step, and we urge the Nigerian Senate to make his confirmation a top priority for the nation”, the statement reads in part.

The group expressed confidence in Najomo’s ability to lead the regulatory agency, emphasising that his nomination aligns with President Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen the nation’s aviation sector.

As director general, Najomo will oversee safety regulations, industry compliance, and policy implementation within the NCAA, a crucial agency in Nigeria’s aviation sector.