Aviation sector reforms long overdue The Punch Published 2 July 2021 NIGERIA’S global reputation took a further hit recently when malfunctioning runway lights compelled delays and the diversion of Lagos-bound international flights. The collapse of the lights made landing at night unsafe and saw British Airways, among other foreign airliners, detouring to Abuja while the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority suspended night-time landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. This national embarrassment reflects the crisis of infrastructure and inefficiency in the troubled domestic aviation sector and makes urgent reforms imperative to reposition it to reap its immense potential. In an industry where accidents, when they occur, are devastating in their human and economic costs, safety is of paramount importance. Civil aviation is accordingly one of the world’s most regulated industries. But characterised by low investment, inefficiency, maladministration, corruption, and politicisation that underpin state-run bureaucracy, Nigeria’s aviation sector grossly under-performs. Lack of adequate modern equipment among others prevents it from becoming a major continental player and it constantly throws up safety concerns.