President Bola Tinubu has welcomed Nigeria's record 91.45 percent aviation safety rating by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), describing it as a strong validation of ongoing reforms in the country's air transport sector.
ICAO, a specialised agency of the United Nations, sets global standards for aviation safety, security and efficiency, while coordinating international air navigation and the orderly growth of air transport. Through its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), the organisation evaluates member states' capacity to manage aviation safety risks. The programme ensures compliance with international standards and directly shapes global confidence in national aviation systems.
As an ICAO member state, Nigeria is required to implement critical safety oversight frameworks. Since the introduction of USOAP in 1999, the country has undergone four rounds of safety audits, with performance measured using Effective Implementation (EI) scores. At a recent debriefing by ICAO auditors at the Abuja headquarters of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the lead auditor announced that Nigeria attained a historic 91.45 percent EI score, its highest ever. The figure places Nigeria well above both the West African regional average of 61.1 percent and the global average of 70.4 percent, significantly boosting investor confidence and reinforcing the country's standing in international aviation.
According to a statement issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Wednesday, President Tinubu noted that the achievement aligns with his administration's priority to strengthen infrastructure and position the aviation sector as a key driver of economic growth. He reiterated the government's commitment to building a safe, secure and efficient aviation industry capable of making Nigeria a global hub. In furtherance of this objective, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has outlined a five-point agenda for the sector, with strict adherence to safety regulations and continuous improvement in ICAO ratings as a central pillar.
The President commended the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and its agencies for the milestone, stating that the rating enhances Nigeria's attractiveness for investment in aviation infrastructure, maintenance services and airline operations. He, however, urged the ministry and relevant stakeholders to sustain the momentum by fully implementing all recommendations made by ICAO auditors, with a view to consolidating and surpassing the current rating.
