Nigeria’s civil aviation authority is weighing the certification of China’s C919 aircraft for domestic airline operations.

The step could expand opportunities in the nation’s aviation industry while strengthening its partnership with the world’s second-largest economy.

This was disclosed by the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo at the UNITED Nations Aviation Agency’s assembly in Montreal, according to Reuters.

Developed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the C919 represents Beijing’s challenge to Boeing and Airbus in the global narrow-body jet segment.

Najomo said that the agency is considering the months-long certification process for the jet, which has not yet been cleared by Western regulators.

“We’re looking at the certification of the airplane. First of all, that is where we have to start,” Najomo stated.

For COMAC, securing certification in Nigeria would mark a key milestone in its push to break into the African market.

The Chinese manufacturer has held multiple discussions with Nigerian officials, offering maintenance and training support to domestic carriers. It is also exploring dry lease arrangements—a financing option that lets airlines lease aircraft without crew, appealing to local operators seeking to boost capacity.

The CEO of NG Eagle,
Abdullahi Ahmed, said his company is open to adding COMAC planes, provided they are certified and backed by strong maintenance and training support.

At present, COMAC’s C919 operates exclusively with Chinese airlines, while its smaller ARJ21 regional jet—sometimes referred to as the C909 in parts of Southeast Asia—has seen limited adoption abroad.

However, the company continues to face significant challenges, as neither U.S. nor European regulators have validated its aircraft.