The Federal Government has proposed a total sum of N87,309,964,48 for the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and four of its agencies in the 2026 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly. This figure represents a notable shift from previous years, marking a decrease from the N105.95 billion allocated in 2025 but an increase from the N63.32 billion set aside in 2024.
Breakdown of Agency Allocations and Major Projects
A detailed analysis of the budget proposal reveals how the N87.3 billion is distributed. The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development itself receives the lion's share of N50,646,938,934. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) is allocated N11,836,942,378, while the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria gets N11,281,209,862.
Other beneficiaries include the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) with N7,244,873,309 and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which is allocated N6,300,000,000. Notably, NAMA's inclusion follows its return to the national budget in 2025 after a five-year absence.
Conversely, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) are, as has been the practice, excluded from the budget. Both agencies are classified as self-sustaining, revenue-generating entities, though the government continues to fund their capital projects.
N10 Billion Earmarked for Three Key Initiatives
The budget document, obtained by sources, indicates that approximately N10 billion is dedicated to three significant projects under the ministry's supervision. All are listed as 'ongoing' and were also captured in the 2025 budget with identical funding amounts, raising questions about their implementation status.
The projects include:
- N1 billion for the expansion of the existing General Aviation Terminal (GAT) apron at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.
- N4 billion as a refund to the Kebbi State Government for the construction of Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi.
- N5 billion for the construction of a corporate headquarters building and staff accommodation for the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its agencies.
It remains unclear if the funds for these projects were actually released in the 2025 financial year, explaining their reappearance in the 2026 proposal.
Additional Projects and the Lingering Aerospace University
Beyond the three major projects, the 2026 aviation budget includes several other critical allocations. The government has set aside N5 billion for the acquisition of safety and security critical projects and airport certification nationwide. This covers items like Category 3 Airfield Lighting (AFL) and disabled aircraft recovery equipment.
Other notable provisions are:
- N300 million for the construction of Hajj and cargo facilities at Lagos airport.
- N800 million for the expansion of the GAT terminal and park at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
- N70 million for the rehabilitation of existing aprons at Sam Mbakwe Airport.
- N1 billion for the purchase of new fire trucks for airports across the nation.
A major and recurring item is the Aerospace University, Abuja, allocated N3 billion for 2026. This is down from the N5 billion earmarked in 2025. The university, envisioned as the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), was a flagship project of the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika. Despite signing an MoU with Nile University and promising a commencement date before the end of 2022, the project failed to materialize before he left office in May 2023, after billions of naira had been reportedly expended on it over eight years.
The budget also reflects past expenditures, such as the N12 billion spent on 10 Volkan Lion firefighting vehicles launched by Sirika in April 2023 and delivered to FAAN at Lagos airport.
