The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has clarified that no private aircraft, including those owned by prominent individuals like Bishop David Oyedepo, can leave the country directly from private airstrips without obtaining proper clearance from aviation authorities.
Keyamo made this statement on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s *Politics Today*. His remarks follow concerns raised about the potential misuse of private airstrips, a topic that has been under scrutiny in recent months.
Approximately two months ago, members of the House of Representatives proposed revoking airstrip licenses granted to private entities and individuals, citing security concerns. They also called for a pause on issuing new licenses. Addressing these issues, Keyamo assured the public that strict protocols are in place to regulate airstrip activities.
He said, “Oh yes, absolutely. That’s no problem. They were only concerned about the fact that they thought that somebody can take off from a private airstrip and fly out of Nigeria or fly into Nigeria. It is not possible.
“You must land in an international airport first. Then the Customs, immigration and NDLEA will process you before you take off from there to your private airstrip. If you are also flying out, you must land at an international airport. You will go through Customs, immigration and all the normal process before flying out.
“So nobody uses an airstrip for any such purpose without seeking clearance. At every point in time, the authorities must approve.”
When quizzed on how many airstrips the country is operating at the moment, Keyamo said they are in the range of 40.
“We have a number of them, more than 40. For the federal airport, we have 23. The state airport has about eight or nine now.
“And then the airstrips are about 40 or thereabouts. I have been there myself,” he stated.
