The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that, from January 1, 2026, all local airports and airstrips operating without valid permits will face sanctions.

Speaking at the maiden Airstrip Owners/Operators Stakeholders’ Engagement in Lagos on Monday, Godwin Balang, Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, said only a few of Nigeria’s 92 airstrips currently hold valid operational permits. These include operational, non-operational, and airstrips under rehabilitation or construction.

Balang stated that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has been informed that, from 1 January 2026, local airports under its management without proper permits will be sanctioned. “FAAN has been apprised that effective from 1st January 2026, local airports without appropriate permits under its management would be sanctioned accordingly. This is not a threat but a collective resolve,” he said.

The NCAA noted that 68 of the 92 airstrips are federal government properties managed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, while 24 are owned by individuals and private organisations. The authority to enforce these measures comes from Section 71 (3) & (4)(a) of the Civil Aviation Authority Act 2022, which empowers the NCAA to certify aerodrome operations and set safety standards.

Balang addressed stakeholders’ pleas to review the N30 million permit fee and other charges to encourage investment. “I completely agree with you because by doing that it would look like the government will be making less money, but we are actually going to be making more money.

“We have a population of over 200 million people with conservatively less than three million people who are actively flying. So, it is also a big opportunity that if we are able to charge less, more people will be able to fly,” he said.

NCAA Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo, outlined the engagement’s goals: to improve communication with state and private airstrip operators, clarify regulatory requirements, address challenges, and promote global best practices.

“It is my fervent hope that these objectives will be fully realised and airstrip operations in Nigeria will, henceforth, be conducted in strict compliance with all regulatory provisions and global best practices,” he said.

One of the suspected promoters of the cryptocurrency trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange, Adefowora Abiodun, who was recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, voluntarily surrendered himself to the anti-graft agency on Monday.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a ruling on Thursday last week, approved the EFCC’s request to arrest and detain six promoters of CBEX pending the conclusion of investigations into the alleged offenses and possible prosecution.

Abiodun, alongside five others – Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim – was declared wanted by the EFCC following submissions made by the commission’s counsel, Fadila Yusuf.

After hearing the EFCC’s application, Justice Nwite ruled, “I have listened to the submission of learned counsel for the applicant (EFCC). I have also reviewed the affidavit evidence and exhibits, along with the written address. I am satisfied that the application is meritorious and hereby grant it as prayed.”

All six promoters were declared wanted by the EFCC for their alleged involvement in a fraudulent investment scheme valued at over $1 billion.

Following the declaration, Abiodun, accompanied by his lawyers, turned himself in at the EFCC headquarters at around 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

Abiodun expressed his willingness to cooperate with the EFCC.

Counsel to the suspect, Babatunde Busari, stated that his client decided to submit himself for investigation to clear his name and correct the false narrative being widely circulated in the media.

The institution has been lauded for its rapid ascent in academic rankings and its dedication to producing socially relevant graduates since its establishments in 2009 by legal luminary Aare Afe Babalola. It has consistently demonstrated excellence in education and research, and has been recognized as Nigeria’s best university for three consecutive years.

Deputy Director, ICT, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado Ekiti, Muyiwa Oladimeji (left); Vice Chancellor,
Prof. Smaranda Olarinde; Managing Director, New Horizons Nigeria, Tim Akano and the University Bursar,
Pastor Dupe Babatola, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between New Horizons and the varsity for the integration of 4IR skill sets into ABUAD’s academic curriculum in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Afe Babalola University has entered into a strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria to integrate Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skill sets into its academic curriculum. This collaboration aims to empower ABUAD students with globally relevant competencies in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, 3D Technology, and the Metaverse, Web 3.0, Full Stack, Cyber Security among others. By embedding these cutting-edge technologies into its programs, ABUAD reinforces its commitment to producing graduates who are not only job-ready but also poised to be innovators and wealth creators in the global tech ecosystem.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, and Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons Nigeria. The University Bursar Pastor Dupe Babatola, and Mr. Muyiwa Oladimeji, the Deputy Director of ICT were also present at this meeting.

According to Prof. Olarinde, she stated that the partnership aligns with ABUAD’s vision of fostering innovation and excellence and by integrating 4IR skills into the academic curriculum, students are being prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce and to drive technological advancement.

Also, Mr. Akano asserted that “New Horizons is proud to collaborate with ABUAD, an institution that shares its commitment to technological empowerment. Together, we will provide students with the tools and certifications necessary to excel in today’s digital world. It could be recalled that in the first three global industrial revolutions, Africa was not present at the parties of Agric revolution of the 17th century, Industrial revolution of the 18th century, and Information Communication revolution of the 20th century, Africa got late to the party. This explains the large-scale hunger, poverty, and diseases that Africa is battling with today. We are in a new era, the age of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI will determine the trajectory of every profession, going forward. Regardless of whatever course or profession one chooses, there is a component of AGI in it that will decide who is a modern lawyer or obsolete lawyer, who is a modern Doctor or Obsolete Doctor, who is a modern Engineer or obsolete engineer, and who is a modern art student or obsolete art student. Any university today that produce graduates without relevant 4IR skills and certifications attached during their undergrad years is producing obsolete graduates. The four major global challenges confronting humanity are not permanent problems but rather TECHNICAL/Technological problems. A case in point was smallpox, which had killed over 400 million people worldwide. However, when Edward Jenner invented a vaccine, using technology, smallpox got killed itself. Therefore, all the key problems in the world today: hunger, poverty, disease, Climate Crisis, Youth Unemployment are all technological problems that need technological solutions. This is why ABUAD’s partnership with New Horizons is necessary, critical and urgent with a view to ensuring that going forward, the ABUAD graduates have what it takes to compete with the Chinese, Americans and Japanese when it comes to 4.0IR innovations”.

This strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria signifies a pivotal step in ABUAD’s mission to remain at the forefront of educational innovation, and to ensure that its students are well-equipped to navigate and lead in the evolving technological landscape.

New Horizons Nigeria is Africa’s largest ICT training organization with over 200 training centres in various universities, high schools, and retail locations across Nigeria, empowering over 100,000 students yearly. New Horizons Nigeria is a franchise of New Horizons International, the world’s largest ICT training institute with Head Office in California and offices in 90 countries worldwide. The institution pioneered the integration of International ICT certification into the Nigeria academic curricular twenty years ago and some of the students that passed through New Horizons training in their respective universities are managing global corporations today in Silicon valley and working with global IT giants like Microsoft, MasterCard, Oracle, Google and Amazon among others.