President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed Nigeria’s 91.45 per cent aviation safety rating from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
ICAO is a United Nations agency that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
Through the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), ICAO assesses countries to ensure they manage safety risks effectively, ensuring that no country is left behind and directly influencing international confidence in a nation’s airspace.
Nigeria, as an ICAO member state, is obligated to comply with applicable international standards and to establish and implement these safety-critical oversight elements.
Since the inception of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme in 1999, Nigeria has undergone four USOAP safety audits conducted by ICAO auditors, with results measured through Effective Implementation (E.I.) scores.
During a recent debriefing by the ICAO audit team at the Abuja headquarters of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the lead auditor announced that Nigeria had recorded an impressive 91.45% Effective Implementation (EI) score – the highest ever for Nigeria.
On assumption of office, President Tinubu redefined the priority areas of his administration to include infrastructure and transportation, and to establish the air transport sector as a major driver for economic prosperity by building a safe, secured and efficient aviation industry focused on making Nigeria a hub that meets international standards and best practices beyond even the African continent.
To align with this priority area, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, outlined a five-point agenda to grow the Nigerian aviation value chain.
In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu commended the Ministry of Aviation for the feat, stating that the rating affirms the nation’s aviation safety standards and makes it a more attractive destination for investment in aviation infrastructure, maintenance facilities, and airline operations.
The President urged the Ministry not to relent but to review and implement every recommendation that the ICAO auditors made during this mission to ensure that Nigeria not only maintains, but goes even further on the rating.
