The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, has described the Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA) as a critical legal and commercial instrument that supports aircraft financing, operational efficiency, and Nigeria’s economic development.
Capt. Najomo made the remarks through the Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary of the NCAA, Barr. Mary Tufano-Eche, at the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) Aviation Law Committee’s bi-monthly session held in Lagos.
The session, themed “Aircraft Registration and Registrable Interests in Nigeria: All You Need to Know,” focused on Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework for aircraft registration, ownership, financing, leasing, and the protection of security interests in aircraft under the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023 and relevant International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
According to the NCAA Director-General, IDERA is more than a regulatory requirement, describing it as a vital commercial mechanism that balances operational oversight with the protection of proprietary rights and investor confidence.
He said for Nigeria’s aviation industry to remain competitive, the country’s aircraft registry must effectively interface with international legal frameworks to ensure that registrable interests are fully recognised and enforceable.
In her opening remarks, the NCAA Lagos Regional Manager, Barr. Olubukola Teriba, highlighted the Authority’s statutory responsibility for aircraft registration and regulatory oversight.
She explained that the NCAA maintains the National Aircraft Registry, which records details of all registered aircraft and issues Certificates of Registration, while also operating the Legal Interests in Aircraft Registry for recording ownership rights, mortgages, and other proprietary interests.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the NBA-SBL Aviation Law Committee, Barr. Yohana Gulla, said the forum was organised to provide legal practitioners and aviation stakeholders with practical insights into the procedures, legal requirements, challenges, and emerging developments relating to aircraft registration and the perfection of security interests under Nigerian and international law.
He commended the NCAA for supporting the programme and for its continued commitment to strengthening legal and regulatory capacity within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
The NCAA noted that the IDERA Advisory Circular, signed on October 16, 2024, by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Capt. Najomo, has improved Nigeria’s aviation financing environment by enabling domestic airlines to access dry-lease aircraft more easily and addressing concerns that previously led some international aircraft lessors to blacklist Nigerian operators.