Abstract
Despite sustained regulatory reforms, infrastructural development and capacity-building initiatives, Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies and a key regional aviation market, continues to experience significant safety deficiencies. This study examines how national cultural norms shape safety practices and performance in Nigeria’s aviation sector. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, it combines a systematic literature review, structured safety culture surveys, and semi-structured expert interviews to analyze interactions among regulatory frameworks, organizational practices, and human factors. Findings show that deeply embedded norms, particularly authority gradients, rule adherence, reporting behavior, and accountability, significantly influence safety outcomes. Although leadership commitment and safety awareness appear relatively strong, their effectiveness is constrained by operational pressures, resource limitations, and uneven confidence in reporting. The study argues that national culture is a critical determinant of aviation safety performance and that sustainable safety improvements require multi-level interventions that address regulatory robustness, organizational capacity, and culturally conditioned behaviors.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety (BCAAS) Seed Grant and the Faculty Innovative Research for Science and Technology (FIRST) Grant.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Ogbozor, E. N.,
Yimga, J.,
DeGarmo, N.,
Marz, H.,
Lopez, K.,
Chrisman, M.,
Leon, C.,
Souza Dias Garcia, J.,
Sestito, M.,
Debrah, H.,
Obi, A.,
&
Chidoka, C.
(2026).
An Exploration of Aviation Safety Culture in Nigeria.
International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace,
13(1).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58940/2374-6793.2091
