The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the regulatory body for the aviation industry, is promoting a healthy and productive workforce through sporting activities, the director of corporate services, Dr. Rebecca Aghadinazu has said.
She made this known during an engagement with the media on Saturday ahead of the maiden edition of the DGCA Sports Week 2025.
This landmark event, the first in NCAA’s 25-year history, will bring together over 300 athletes from its regional offices in Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, as well as the headquarters, to compete in football, swimming, chess, table tennis, ayo and other indoor games.
The week will run from June 23 to 29, 2025 at the Nigerian Airforce Base Sports Complex on Airport Road, Abuja. The opening ceremony will begin at 1 PM.
She noted that the event, strongly supported by the director-general of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo is designed to foster unity, fitness, teamwork resilience, and institutional pride among staff across the authority.
According to her, the plan is to make the sports week an annual event given its potential to boost staff morale and productivity.
“We need to be healthy to remain productive. This event will strengthen teamwork, bonding, help us unwind, ease tension, and boost happiness among staff. Sports naturally carry these benefits because they embody a blend of positive values. Sports also build discipline and relieve stress,” she emphasised.
She added that as more NCAA staff engage in sports, their health would improve, translating to higher output in the workplace.
Chairman of the NCAA Sports Club, Razak Sowunmi during the briefing, affirmed that the authority prioritises sporting activities to maintain the overall well-being of its workers.
“You must be on top of your health and mindset to regulate properly,” he emphasised.
He assured that the sporting facilities are well prepared, with adequate security and medical personnel on standby. “We have paramedics stationed and ready,” he said.
“The well-being of staff is key. In our 25 years of existence, this is the first time we are organising a full sports week,” he reiterated.
Also speaking, the director of public affairs and consumer protection, Michael Achimugu said Najomo, on assumption of office, pledged to implement meaningful changes in the authority and has proven himself a man of his word.
“One of the many promises he made was to build a CAA where staff are healthier and more productive. He has honoured this pledge by improving insurance packages for employees because healthy and productive regulators make for a stronger industry,” he noted.
Najomo further stated that the Sports Week is part of the DGCA’s commitment to staff welfare.
“Today, we proudly present to the world the first-ever DGCA Sports Week,” he declared with excitement.
