Nigeria has shone brightly in the recently concluded International Civil Aviation Organization Universal Safety Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach.
This announcement came from Obiageli Orah, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, in a statement on Saturday evening.
“The objective of the USAP-CMA was to promote global aviation security through continuous auditing and monitoring of member states’ aviation security performance to enhance their aviation security compliance and oversight capabilities,” FAAN said.
The findings of the audit were spotlighted during the Audit Debrief session, presided over by Team Lead Callum Vine, on Friday, March 22nd, at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority headquarters situated within the premises of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The debrief was attended by Emmanuel Meribole, standing in for the Minister, and Captain Chris Najomo, acting Director General of the NCAA, along with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.
FAAN underscored that reaching the aviation safety objective required the consistent and continual gathering and scrutiny of data regarding member states’ aviation security performance.
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This involves evaluating how effectively critical elements within their aviation security oversight systems are being implemented and assessing conformity with the Standards specified in Annex 17—Security and relevant security-related Standards in Annex 9 — Facilitation.
Assessing the results, Vine commended Nigeria for its exceptional performance across key indicators, highlighting the strength of its policies and agencies empowered with distinct mandates pertaining to airport security.
He commended the country for its swift response to identified deficiencies, noting the efficiency with which personnel addressed them without any complaints.
Vine further elaborated that the comprehensive report of the audit will be furnished to Nigeria by ICAO within 60 days.
Afterwards, the country will be afforded a 30-day interval to offer comments, with the subsequent requirement to draft and submit a plan detailing the steps aimed at achieving compliance with the organization’s standards.
In the course of the debriefing, Olubunmi Kuku, the Managing Director of FAAN, clarified that the authority aims to employ the audit results as a directional guide for ongoing improvements in services provided to airport users and stakeholders.