To ensure safety and security in Nigeria’s civil aviation sector, Captain Chris Najomo, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has directed that all mobile phones must be turned off during the takeoff and landing of aircraft in the country. He emphasised that the flight mode option is no longer acceptable with immediate effect.
The directive followed an emergency meeting of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NSASC) and aviation stakeholders held in Abuja on Tuesday. Captain Najomo stressed the need for deeper synergy among aviation stakeholders to curb unruly passenger behaviour and strengthen safety measures.
“As a takeaway and to avoid ambiguity and confusion, all mobile phones and other portable electric devices should be switched off during the critical stage of flight on all Nigerian airlines.
“Nigerian air operators are therefore required to amend their operator’s manual to reflect this requirement and submit to the NCAA for approval.
“We remain alert to future reviews of this requirement as aircraft technological enhancement improves.
“It remains the responsibility of the crew to communicate this requirement to the passengers and the responsibility of the passenger to comply with crew instructions,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by airline operators, critical security agencies, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the National Assembly, and other stakeholders.
Captain Najomo further warned that unruly passenger behaviour will no longer be tolerated.
“Henceforth, things wouldn’t be as usual. If you are unruly, you are unruly. From category one to category four will be taken care of henceforth.”
He clarified that the engagement was not about assigning blame.
“This meeting is not about pointing fingers or apportioning blame – no, that would not achieve the desired results – it is rather about listening, discussing, and awakening us to our individual and collective responsibilities towards a safe and secure air transport sector.”
The objectives of the meeting included:
•To analyse and fully understand the chain of failures—technological, procedural, and human—that permitted recent incidents.
•To unify and strengthen inter-agency coordination, especially between NCAA, FAAN, AVSEC, security services, and law enforcement.
•To determine and deploy immediate corrective measures to ensure safe and secure airport infrastructure and enforce personnel compliance and response.
•To identify “quick wins” and policy gaps, establishing mitigations that can be operationalised immediately before the next threat emerges.
•To emphasise the need for training, retraining, and continuous capacity building on aviation security.
Captain Najomo underscored the importance of decisive action: “We must summon the courage and professionalism to implement procedures without fear or favour.”
He added that the discussions addressed all aspects of the aviation ecosystem: “the regulator, airline security, airspace security, airport security, and of course, the travelling public who not only have rights, but responsibilities.”
“Let us remember that the safety of our aviation system is the safety of our nation. The outcomes of this meeting must lead to tangible, immediate enforcement of operational protocols, public confidence restoration, and strive to close vulnerabilities,” he said.
In his presentation on NCAA Regulatory Requirements and Policies on Unruly Passenger Behaviour, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, acknowledged that recent incidents had highlighted systemic gaps.
“I am proud of the way the NCAA handled these issues. There is not one party involved who would repeat their errors—not KWAM 1, not Comfort, even the pilots or cabin crew. But there are gaps in the system that need to be plucked as a matter of urgency,” he noted.
He reminded passengers that safety remains paramount: “Once you enter an airport terminal, the rules change. Once you board an aircraft, the rules become even more strict. No matter the sentiments and opinions, SAFETY comes first. The guardians of that safety are the pilot and the cabin crew, and their authority is final.”
He stressed that passengers also have responsibilities: “The passengers, beyond their rights, owe a responsibility of COMPLIANCE. The right time to argue over rules is not when an aircraft is about to take off.”
Achimugu called for stronger enforcement: “Aviation Security needs to step up, and regulatory enforcement needs to become more consistent and stringent. In the end, let us synergise and ensure that, after we have left the industry, people would say that civil aviation became better because of us, not despite us.”