NCAA Calls for Judicial Support of Aviation Laws, Investor Confidence

The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, has called for increased collaboration with the judiciary to strengthen understanding of aviation laws, particularly the Cape Town Convention (CTC), a key international treaty governing aircraft leasing and financing.

Speaking at the grand finale of the international CTC moot court held at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, Najomo, represented by Captain Donald Tonye Spiff, NCAA’s Director of Operations, Licensing and Training, emphasized the treaty’s role in making Nigeria an attractive destination for aircraft lessors and aviation investors.

“The CTC has actually put Nigeria in a better perspective to aircraft lessors and general aviation business in Nigeria,” Najomo said.

Organized under the CTC Academic Project with support from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, NCAA, and the Aviation Working Group (AWG), the event aimed to familiarize students, academics, and judges with the convention through simulated judicial exercises.

Najomo highlighted that prior to Nigeria’s ratification of the CTC, many airline manufacturers and leasing companies were hesitant to operate in the country.

“Through the efforts of the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, we are now in the good books of these organizations. This is an enlightenment programme to tell the world that we have arrived and we are ready to do business,” he said.

The DGCA also praised the participating students for their “brilliance and commitment,” noting that the programme showcased Nigeria’s potential in global aviation.

Jeffrey Wool, Secretary-General of AWG and Co-Director of the CTC Academic Project, called the moot court “a landmark event” in Nigeria, highlighting its importance in introducing students and the legal system to the treaty.

“The CTC is very important economically to the country. The moot court is a way to familiarize the court and legal practitioners with its provisions, and to enhance Nigeria’s attractiveness to global aviation investors,” Wool said.