Nigeria's Aviation Minister Condemns Private Jet and Charter Operators for Breaching Safety Rules, Including Skipping NiMet Weather Briefings

Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said some pilots in corporate aviation and helicopter charter services are violating regulatory rules, which he described as a significant safety breach in Nigerian airspace. He said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is having problems with private jet operators who disregard directives meant to guide pilots to operate safely.

The issue emerged in Lagos at the 2026 Alliance for Hydromet Development Annual Meeting, organised by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), where it was stated that some private jet and charter pilots do not obtain weather reports from the agency before flying. NCAA regulations require pilots and flight crew to obtain departure, en-route and destination weather briefings from NiMet aerodrome meteorological offices before flight operations.

Keyamo said scheduled operators, which carry large numbers of Nigerians, follow the rules and are more heavily regulated because of concern for passengers' lives, while some private jet owners think they are outside the regulation. He said he had set up a committee to regulate private jet operators, and he inaugurated a seven-member ministerial task force to crack down on illegal private charter operations, non-commercial flight violations and related security risks.

NiMet Director General and CEO Professor Charles Anosike said the agency gives every pilot and airline access to timely weather reports through an e-folder reachable by phone or browser. NiMet has replaced manual paper methods with a digital e-Flight Folder web and tablet application providing real-time weather reports, flight plans, NOTAMs and maps, and it operates a centralised SADIS API platform run in coordination with the UK Met Office and ICAO.