The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered the grounding of a privately operated aircraft, and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) after it landed on a roadway near Asaba, before departing the area without regulatory clearance.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning in the Ogwashi-Uku area, close to Asaba Airport.

In a statement by its director of public affairs and consumer protection, Michael Achimugu, the aviation industry regulator said preliminary information showed the aircraft encountered difficulties during an attempt to land at Asaba Airport, and subsequently executed a missed approach.

“Reports from officials at the scene indicate that all occupants exited the aircraft safely and were conveyed to Asaba by road,” Mr Achimugu said.

According to the NCAA, the aircraft had four crew members on board at the time of the incident.

The regulator, however, expressed concern that the aircraft later took off from the location and returned to Lagos, without securing the required approval from aviation authorities.

Traffic control officials were informed only after the aircraft had already departed, the authority noted, an action it described as a breach of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.

The NCAA has directed that the aircraft be grounded immediately on its arrival in Lagos, and has placed the flight crew under regulatory review pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.

ALSO READ: Airline operators reject NCAA debt claims, seek review of ticket charges

It disclosed that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has been notified of the development, adding that it is teaming up with relevant stakeholders, including the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), to ascertain the circumstances surrounding both the landing and the subsequent departure.

The investigation will examine the aircraft’s operational records, airworthiness status, maintenance history and other flight-related documentation, with the possibility of taking additional enforcement measures in the event that violations of aviation rules are established.

The incident comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny in the Nigerian aviation sector, where authorities have repeatedly emphasised the need for strict compliance with safety procedures and operational regulations.

The NCAA said it remains committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety, security and regulatory compliance within the industry.

According to Nkanta, the intervention has reached more than 72,000 students while equipping over 1,150 teachers with digital teaching skills and classroom competencies. He stressed the need for additional funding and stronger partnerships to enable nationwide scale-up of the initiative.

Digital education prepares Nigerians for participation in digital economy

Speaking during a courtesy visit by officials of The Kukah Centre and the ProFuturo Foundation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima said the initiative complements the government’s efforts to strengthen skills acquisition through the National Council on Skills.

After receiving a briefing on the programme’s progress, the Vice President expressed satisfaction with improvements in school enrolment, teacher capacity and the quality of teaching delivered since the partnership began in 2017. He, however, noted that despite the achievements recorded so far, much more remains to be done to address the educational needs of Nigeria’s rapidly growing population.

As part of efforts to deepen the impact of digital learning nationwide, Shettima proposed closer collaboration between programme implementers and key education institutions, including the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

“The interaction is to facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas that can help produce robust solutions to the issue of school enrolment in parts of Nigeria,” the Vice President said.

Shettima also pledged support for broader adoption of the initiative, assuring the delegation that he would introduce the programme to the National Economic Council (NEC) with the aim of digitising Universal Basic Education Boards across the country.

Providing an update on implementation milestones, Emmanuel Nkanta, project coordinator for the initiative, said the programme has expanded to 13 states and 123 schools since its launch.

According to Nkanta, the intervention has reached more than 72,000 students while equipping over 1,150 teachers with digital teaching skills and classroom competencies. He stressed the need for additional funding and stronger partnerships to enable nationwide scale-up of the initiative.

Matthew Kukah, Founder of The Kukah Centre, said the delegation’s visit to the Presidential Villa was intended to demonstrate support for the administration’s commitment to advancing digital education in Nigeria.

Describing Shettima’s support as critical for the country’s future, Kukah said the Vice President’s commitment reflects the leadership required to prepare Nigeria for the next phase of global development driven by digital skills and technology-enabled learning.

ProFuturo is a global digital education initiative established by Spain’s Fundación Telefónica and Fundación “la Caixa” to improve learning outcomes through technology-enabled education in underserved communities. The programme focuses on teacher training, digital learning content, classroom technology deployment and the development of digital skills among students.

In Nigeria, the initiative commenced in 2017 following an agreement involving the ProFuturo Foundation, the Northern Governors’ Forum and The Kukah Centre. The original programme targeted approximately 70,000 children across 120 schools in northern Nigeria through digital learning tools and teacher training interventions.

According to The Kukah Centre, the project was designed to reduce educational and digital inequalities among children in vulnerable communities by improving the quality of teaching and learning through technology.

Earlier programme updates from ProFuturo showed operations spanning 13 Nigerian states and more than 120 schools, with thousands of teachers benefiting from digital skills training. The latest figures presented to the Vice President indicate continued expansion in both teacher capacity development and student reach.

The renewed push for digital education comes as policymakers increasingly identify technology-enabled learning and digital skills development as essential to preparing young Nigerians for future workforce demands and supporting the country’s transition to a knowledge-driven digital economy.