…. inspects NAIA, Abuja, NCAA, NiMet offices
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has applauded the role of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO aimed at constantly addressing and enhancing the global aviation safety through coordinated activities.
The Minister who stated this when he met with the visiting team of the International Civil Aviation Organization-ICAO in Abuja noted that, their mission to Nigeria is an important one aimed at, not only promoting the global civil aviation safety through the monitoring of Contracting States’ safety oversight capabilities but improving their systems.
Mr. Tunde Moshood, SA Media and Communications to the Minister in a news release said, the minister stressed that, the accomplishment of the ICAO audit is a shared national responsibility and as such, has been the focus of the Federal Government.
“Whilst Nigeria is not new to audits, no stone was left unturned in the preparation for this audit, to ensure a significant rise in the effective implementation of all the safety functional areas.” Safety remains Nigeria’s priority, non-negotiable and it supersedes all other considerations for civil aviation”.
He added, “It therefore gives me great honour that you are visiting Nigeria at this time when the nation just concluded a transition to a new government in the annals of our democracy”.
Keyamo said, in its bid to ensure continuous compliance with ICAO Standards and to meet the challenges of a rapidly growing air transport sector, Nigerian Government has continued to maintain and to reposition the industry for efficiency and the path of sustainable growth.
“Nigeria is fully aware that ensuring safe, secure, efficient and environmentally-friendly civil aviation system, with modern and adequate infrastructure require adequately funded autonomous Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and an Independent National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), together with well- established aviation service providers”.
The ICAO team’s visit is precipitated on the much-awaited audit of the nation’s airports and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority-NCCA for the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).
In a related development, the Minister today embarked on an Inspection tour of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, departments of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency-NiMET where he was a guest presenter on Weather Forecast led by the DGCA, Capt. Musa Nuhu and DG NiMet, prof. Mansur Matazu.
