Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has ordered the temporary suspension of helicopter landing fees imposed on oil companies following concerns that the charges could disrupt operations in the petroleum sector.
Keyamo announced the decision after hosting the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, alongside key stakeholders from the oil and aviation industries during a high-level meeting.
Also present at the meeting were the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, representatives of international oil companies operating in Nigeria, as well as members of the Oil Producers Trade Section, OPTS, and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group, IPPG.
Officials from the aviation sector also attended the meeting, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and representatives of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
According to Keyamo, the oil industry delegation raised concerns over the enforcement of helicopter landing fees prescribed by NAMA for helicopter operations servicing oil installations.
“The team from the oil industry came to raise their concerns regarding the enforcement of the helicopter landing fee prescribed by NAMA for the IOCs in respect of all their helicopter operations on oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, FPSOs, heliports, helipads, airstrips and aerodromes,” he said.
The minister said the operators warned that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee could negatively affect operations across the sector.
“Their concern is that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee may disrupt operations in the sector,” Keyamo explained.
Following extensive deliberations, the aviation minister said the government decided to temporarily halt enforcement of the charges while a broader review is carried out.
“After extensive deliberations, I directed a suspension of the enforcement of the collection of the fee for an initial period of two months,” he said.
Keyamo added that an inter-ministerial committee would be established to review the issue and recommend a resolution acceptable to all parties.
“We will set up an inter-ministerial committee to further deliberate on the issue and come up with an acceptable position to all parties,” the minister stated.
