The Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr, has revealed that the mass migration of professionals, commonly known as ‘Japa,’ is severely affecting Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Badeh explained that while the ‘Japa’ trend is widely known to affect the health sector, its impact on aviation is also significant.
“Oh yes! Heavily! Heavily! Seriously, about 80% of people I started flying with here in Nigeria have left the country. I left the country too, but I re-japad back to Nigeria,” he said.
Badeh pointed out that many aviation professionals, including pilots and maintenance experts, have left Nigeria in search of better opportunities abroad. This brain drain, he noted, has put a strain on the industry, especially in areas like aircraft maintenance.
“Unfortunately, I can’t sit here and tell you we have enough capacity. We have some capacity, but if you notice, we do fly a lot of our airplanes out for certain checks. Of course, certain checks are being done in Nigeria, but there is a brain drain as well,” he stated.
Despite these challenges, Badeh assured Nigerians that the country’s airspace remains safe.
“Yes, I can confidently say that our airspace is safe. I know it may seem concerning with the recent increase in incidents, but aviation in Nigeria is still relatively safe. There’s been no major loss of life, except for the helicopter crash in Bonny last year,” he said.
He explained that aviation is still the safest mode of transportation when compared to road, rail, and maritime travel.
“I would use statistics. Compared to roads or maritime or even rail, air transportation is inherently safer because of the number of people flying daily and the fewer number of accidents recorded,” Badeh added.
Addressing concerns about the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Badeh said the regulator has been proactive in ensuring safety standards are met, although he acknowledged that some issues still slip through the cracks.
“The NCAA has been fairly proactive over the years. Of course, some things do slip through, and there is a strain on the industry because aviation is a capital-intensive, dollar-denominated business in a naira-denominated economy,” he noted.
Badeh also praised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development for efforts to improve the sector, including deals to provide more airplanes and parts for Nigerian operators.
“We’re hoping this year we will see new airplanes here. The regulators are being very proactive, and we encourage them to keep looking into airline operations to prevent more incidents,” he said.
