President Hails 91.45% Aviation Safety Rating By ICAO

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has hailed Nigeria's impressive 91.45 per cent aviation safety rating from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The ICAO is a United Nations agency that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation. It 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 that 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 (EI) 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.

The regional average of West Africa is 61.1%, and the global average is 70.4%. Nigeria is thus well positioned above the regional and global ratings, which, in turn, significantly boosted investor confidence and strengthened international aviation credibility.

Upon the assumption of office, President Tinubu redefined the priority areas of his administration to include enhancing infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth, 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 SAN, outlined a five-point agenda to grow the Nigerian aviation value chain.

Importantly, the first point on that agenda is to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations and the continuous upward movement of Nigeria’s ICAO rating.

The President commends the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development 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.

President Tinubu 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.

This was contained in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in Abuja.