Nigeria Targets Enhanced ICAO Safety Rating as Audit Kicks Off
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Agency (NCAA) has voiced strong confidence in securing an elevated Effective Implementation (EI) score as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) initiates a comprehensive audit of Nigeria's aviation safety protocols. This audit serves as a follow-up to the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) exercise conducted from August to September 2023, during which Nigeria achieved a score of 70.12 per cent.
Commitment to Safety Oversight and Corrective Measures
During the opening ceremony of the ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) in Abuja, the Director-General of the Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, highlighted the agency's unwavering dedication to enhancing safety oversight capabilities within the sector. Najomo explained that upon receiving the results of the previous audit, the authority conducted a thorough root cause analysis and swiftly developed comprehensive Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) to address identified gaps.
Through the implementation of these CAPs, the NCAA successfully deployed the Effective Participation of Member States in ICAO (EPMIC) as regulatory software, specifically automating personnel licensing and aeromedical processes. Additionally, the agency partnered with NorthWest Data Solution to implement SMS Pro software, centralising and digitising the safety data reporting and management system to ensure compliance with ICAO Annex 19 requirements for a Safety Data Collection and Processing System (SDCPS).
Training and International Collaboration
In line with ICAO Critical Element 4 on qualified technical personnel, Najomo emphasised that approximately 100 flight operations and airworthiness inspectors received specialised training. This training took place at a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-approved institution in Comiso, Italy, and another organisation in Dubai, UAE. Furthermore, some inspectors are currently undergoing on-the-job training (OJT) under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rwandan Civil Aviation Authority to certify them in specialised authorisations, complementing regular annual training plans for NCAA aviation safety inspectors.
Najomo stressed that Nigeria's participation in these audits and validation missions is not merely aimed at improving numerical EI scores but at institutionalising a resilient safety oversight system. This approach fosters continuous improvement in safety performance, aligning with the Federal Government's policy on strict adherence to international safety regulations to elevate Nigeria's ICAO rating.
ICAO's Assessment Process
The ICAO team lead, Jerome Patoureaux, outlined that the organisation's mission in Nigeria involves a three-phase process: preparation, on-site evaluation, and reporting. Auditors will assess Nigeria's compliance with key safety standards, including legal frameworks, personnel capacity, and enforcement systems, to ensure robust aviation safety oversight.
