The International Civil Aviation Organisation has described the progress and development of the sector as satisfactory after an 11-day Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme conducted on Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The auditors disclosed this during the presentation of the preliminary audit result and their assessment of the aviation industry at the closing meeting of the ICAO USOAP. The report was presented by the leader of the four-man team of auditors, Mr. Jean-Claude Waffo..
Members of the team gave their assessments on all the laid out areas: legislation, organisation, accident and incident investigation, air navigational services, aerodrome and ground aids.
Sam Adurogboye, the General Manager, Public Relations, of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, said that the auditors consistently expressed satisfaction with the level of improvement in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
He said,“The auditors were highly impressed with the preparation for the audit by all concerned and this made the programme a huge success”.
The final audit report is to be produced and sent to Canada for review and final assent. This will be done only when comments on the draft report have been received from Nigeria.
Waffo said: “Draft results will be produced 90 days after today’s presentation. Thereafter, Nigeria is expected to produce a corrective action plan, which will provide room for comments and observations within 45 days.”
The final report is only to be expected and produced after 30 days of receipt and acknowledgement of comments.
After the presentation, the auditors were said to have applauded the Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, as well as chief executives of other aviation parastatals and the Nigerian team that worked with them during the audit.
Usman expressed appreciation for the devotion and high sense of responsibility with which the auditors carried out their assignment.
He also assured them that all open items that were pinpointed would be closed and adequately communicated in the CAP to be forwarded by the NCAA as required.
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Saleh Dunoma, made a promise that all areas that needed to be improved upon would be attended to as soon as possible.
