By Chidi Ugwu
As the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) holds its 2025 Judges’ Conference, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, has said judges are critical in shaping Nigeria’s reputation in the global civil aviation community with their aviation cases decisions.
Declaring the NCAA Judges Conference open in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said when a court interprets a provision of international conventions, it is not merely resolving a dispute, it is sending a signal to the world about how Nigeria honours its commitments under international law.
The theme of the 2025 NCAA Judges Conference is “the Role of Judges in Sustaining Nigeria’s Adherence to Applicable International Conventions in Relation to Carriage by Air.”
The minister said the conference is important as it “brings together those who make the laws, those who interpret them, and those who must live under its guidance.”
Mr. Keyamo said the NCAA’s initiative “bridges the communication gap between the regulators and those who are tasked with interpreting those regulations. When regulators and judges sing from the same sheet, it ensures consistency in the sector.”
He emphasized that the Ministry’s goal is to commands trust from passengers, investors, and international partners.
“That trust is built on three pillars: safety, accountability, and justice. The NCAA continues to uphold the first two. But it is the judiciary that anchors the third. When passengers or operators believe they will receive fair hearing and reasoned justice, confidence grows. And with confidence, comes investment” he noted.
The conference he further stated aligns with the key resolutions of the ICAO A42 which recognizes the need to sensitization of all stakeholders regarding the need for a uniform implementation and interpretation of Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and international Civil Aviation Treaties.
“Aviation is one of the fastest-changing sectors in the world, shaped by new technologies, environmental challenges, and shifting passenger expectations. To keep pace, we must nurture a culture of learning, where every stakeholder remains informed, curious, and forward-looking” he said.
Welcoming participants at the conference, the Director-General, Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo said the law, when interpreted with clarity and purpose, becomes the foundation upon which safety, fairness, and trust are built in aviation. He said Nigeria’s obligations under key instruments such as the Convention on International Civil Aviation of 1944 and the Montreal Convention of 1999 reflect our nation’s dedication to international best practices.
He noted that “conventions achieve their true force only when upheld in our courts, and this is where the critical role of the judiciary comes in. Through their judgments, our judges interpret not just the letter of the law, but its spirit and intent, thereby balancing the interests of passengers, operators, regulators and the State.”
“At NCAA, we remain committed to continuous alignment with international standards, robust oversight, and transparent governance. We are however mindful that regulation alone is not enough. The judiciary’s wisdom gives permanence and legitimacy to every effort we make to uphold the rule of law in aviation” he assured.
The Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by Gladys Odegbaro (Director, Solicitor Department) Federal Ministry of Justice told the judges that defining the frontiers of the Montreal Convention isn’t a static exercise, it requires judicial clarity on the Convention’s scope and limits, regulatory alignment with international best practices, collaborative engagement between judges, regulators and carriers.
He said indeed, when Nigeria signed the Montreal Convention, she made a solemn pledge to the international community and its citizens. “That pledge was to ensure that the rights of passengers, obligations of carriers and the standards of safety and accountability in international aviation, will be held with integrity” he assured.
He urged the Judges to continue to apply the convention with empathy ensuring Nigeria remains a beacon of global excellence in aviation law.
