NCAA Boss Seeks Stakeholders Cooperation For Successful ICAO Audit

The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Capt Musa Nuhu has appealed to stakeholders in the industry including the media to join hands with them to ensure a successful International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit.

Capt Nuhu, who spoke in Zaria at the opening ceremony of the League of Airport and Aviation correspondents training, charged journalists to avoid sensitive reports and to eschew sensationalism capable of putting the nation in a bad light.

Nuhu announced that the country was doing everything possible for a smooth audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) slated for the first quarter of 2022

“On the heels of proactiveness, the existing regime of robust regulations and over eight-year of zero accident in commercial flight operation, we are primed to excel again”.

According to the NCAA boss, personnel qualification and training were one of the Critical Elements (CE) and associated components recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for an effective State aviation security oversight system.

“These eight CEs encompass the whole spectrum of civil aviation security activities. Consequently, it requires and provides training to the aviation industry on the implementation of applicable aviation security requirements. This is with a view to ensuring effective implementation of security-related Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention.”

Capt Nuhu explained that continuous human capacity development was one of his administration’s core values.

“For us at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), we consider training (including initial, on-the-job and recurrent training) as a key component of aviation development in Nigeria. In actual fact, training and retraining is a capital project for us as it is critical to our operations as the country’s apex regulatory authority for civil aviation in Nigeria”.

Nuhu explained that NCAA personnel were exposed to appropriate training all over the world so as to maintain and enhance their competence.

He noted that the media was critical to the growth of global aviation adding that the press as the Fourth Estate of the Realm has the capacity of advocacy and implicit ability to report issues saying that aviation in Nigeria cannot be written without the contributions of the media.

“One of your many contributions is the LAAC Annual Conference which has provided, and still providing a veritable platform over the years for stakeholders to converge and dissect pertinent contemporary aviation issues with a view to proffering workable solutions that will move the industry forward. In my opinion, this training is an indication of that spirit of camaraderie that had existed (still existing) between NCAA and LAAC.”

“The media, particularly LAAC has provided a platform which has helped in projecting activities and laudable achievements of NCAA to the public vis-à-vis our oversight functions. Your day-to-day reportage has shown that most of you have a deep knowledge of aviation and its goings-on”

He advised the media to endeavour to verify and confirm their stories before publishing, if in doubt, in order to foster stability in the industry.