Nigeria’s aviation sector has witnessed a string of near-miss incidents and runway excursions in recent years, raising concerns about the effectiveness of oversight by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
While there have been no fatal crashes since 2005 and 2006, experts warn that lax regulatory practices could lead to a catastrophic event.
From 2023 to 2025, several incidents have made headlines, including a Max Air aircraft suffering a tyre burst at Kano’s Aminu International Airport in January 2025, which involved 53 passengers.
This followed a similar incident in July 2024, where a Max Air Boeing 737 experienced a rear gear tyre burst during takeoff from Yola Airport. These events come after repeated safety lapses, such as the grounding of Max Air’s Boeing 737 fleet in 2023 after a series of technical failures.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) also faced a tyre burst incident in February 2023, with a plane making an emergency landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Other airlines like United Nigeria Airlines, ValueJet, Aero Contractors, and Dana Air have experienced runway incursions and excursions, all of which caused significant damage but fortunately no fatalities.
Experts, including Olumide Ohunayo and John Ojikutu, have raised alarms about the lack of sufficient personnel, regular inspections, and effective implementation of safety recommendations from international audits like the ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme.
In 2024, Nigeria’s score in this audit dropped dramatically, reflecting the need for better oversight and adherence to safety standards.
The recurring incidents, such as Max Air’s multiple tyre burst cases, highlight the growing concerns regarding the safety of Nigeria’s aviation sector and the need for urgent regulatory intervention to prevent a major accident.
