The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of helicopter landing fees for a period of two months following concerns raised by stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The decision was reached after a meeting in Abuja on 9th March, 2026 between Keyamo and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, alongside key players in the petroleum sector.
The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, brought together representatives from major regulatory bodies and oil companies to deliberate on the implications of the helicopter landing fees being enforced by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
The charges apply to operations on oil fields, terminals, offshore platforms, rigs, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facilities, as well as heliports, helipads, airstrips and aerodromes used in petroleum operations.
Industry representatives warned that continued enforcement of the fees in their current form could disrupt critical operations within the sector.
Following extensive deliberations between both parties, Keyamo directed the temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of the helicopter landing fees for an initial period of two months.
The minister also announced that an inter-ministerial committee involving representatives from both the aviation and petroleum sectors would be established immediately to review the concerns raised and develop an acceptable framework for all stakeholders.
Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration between the aviation and petroleum sectors to ensure that regulatory policies support operational efficiency and sustain two critical pillars of Nigeria’s economy.
The petroleum industry delegation included officials from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), International Oil Companies operating in Nigeria, the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).
Officials of the aviation ministry and regulatory agencies were also present at the meeting, including the outgoing Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, the Managing Director of NAMA, Umar Farouk, and senior representatives of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
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