The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed that all passengers on civil flights must switch off their mobile phones during critical stages of flight, specifically takeoff and landing.

The directive was announced on Tuesday in Abuja by NCAA Director General, Chris Najomo, following recent incidents that have sparked confusion over in-flight phone usage rules.

“As a takeaway and to avoid ambiguity and confusion, all mobile phones and other portable electric devices should be switched off during the critical stage of flight on all Nigerian airlines. Switch off. Nothing like flight mode any longer,” Najomo said.

The decision comes in the wake of a controversial altercation involving a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, and an Ibom Air flight attendant, which highlighted inconsistencies in how airlines enforce phone usage policies.

Najomo explained that the move was aimed at standardizing procedures across airlines. “Nigerian air operators are therefore required to amend their operators’ manuals to reflect this requirement and submit to the NCAA for approval,” he declared.

He further noted that the directive could be subject to review as aviation technology improves. “We remain alert to future reviews of this requirement as aircraft technological enhancement improves. It remains the responsibility of the crew to communicate this requirement to the passengers and the responsibility of the passenger to comply with crew instructions,” he added.