Page 18 - LUA September - October 2023 Magzter

FEATURE

SAFETY REMAINS

NON-NEGOTIABLE

Nigeria’s aviation regulator upholds safety and says it is non-negotiable but
willing to support airlines to get out of the woods. Roy Ezze writes the details.

he Director General and CEO of
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA), Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu,
Thas said that Nigeria needs to change
strategies to develop aviation as the demands
of the industry continue to change.
At a recent event organised by aviation
media practitioners in Lagos, Capt. Nuhu
stated: “I cannot agree less that the sector All these challenges
is beset with myriads of surmountable
challenges. However, challenges bring notwithstanding, as
opportunities,” Capt. Nuhu stated. the regulator, safety
“All these challenges notwithstanding, remains a priority,
as the regulator, safety remains a priority,
non-negotiable and it supersedes all non-negotiable and it
other considerations for us. We are supersedes all other
neither a police agency of the industry considerations for
nor in existence to close airline transportation sector has contributed over
businesses. NCAA is willing to support us. We are neither $1.7 billion in addition to the provision of
the airline to get out of the woods.” a police agency of well over 240,00 jobs.
Recent challenges in Nigeria’s aviation the industry nor in Capt. Nuhu said that contrary to the view
industry including the high cost of tickets, that the aviation sector could only double
protests by aviation unions, and the existence to close after 15 years, “we are seeing steady growth
controversial launch of the national carrier, airline businesses. in the domestic sector with more airlines
Nigeria Air, as well as the inability of NCAA is willing to processing their Air Operator Certificates
foreign airlines to repatriate their revenue (AOCs) and the rate of connections among
from Nigeria had put Nigeria in a negative support the airline to cities increasing. We are witnessing Nigerian
global spotlight. get out of the woods. airlines embarking on aggressive, but
Nigeria has, however, continued to strategic expansion in regional connectivity
excel in aviation safety performance, MUSA SHUAIBU NUHU and route strength as well.”
NCAA
recording zero accidents for scheduled Capt. Nuhu stated that “As our
commercial airlines in nearly a decade, traffic figures are doubling so is the
and scoring above the global average GROWTH AMIDST number of young airports increasing
in Effective Implementation (EI) of CHALLENGES with the old ones embarking on massive
the critical safety elements of the Quoting the World Bank, Capt. Nuhu said infrastructure upgrade, expansion, and
International Civil Aviation Authority that “Nigeria's economy is the largest on the equipment modernization for safety,
(ICAO). Capt. Nuhu announced that “we continent of Africa for the fifth consecutive security, safe air navigation, weather
are undergoing ICAO Universal Safety year in 2022 with a nominal GDP of $477.4 observation, and forecasting.”
Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP)) billion,” stating also that the airline industry Beyond traffic growth, he also revealed
yet again in August 2023,” expressing in Nigeria has contributed over $1.7 billion that, following government approval, the
commitment to Nigeria’s “existing and supports over 240,000 jobs directly and Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel of
regime of robust regulations and almost- indirectly. He observed that the International the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
a-decade of zero accident in scheduled Air Transportation Association (IATA) in (FAAN) has been licensed to bear light
flight operation.” a recent study recognized that Nigeria’s air weapons like their counterparts in some

16 LUA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2023