President Bola Tinubu has welcomed Nigeria’s impressive 91.45 percent aviation safety rating by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The President said the score affirmed the country’s strong aviation safety standards.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu commended the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development for the achievement.
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He noted that the rating enhances Nigeria’s appeal as a 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 made by ICAO auditors during the mission, to ensure that Nigeria not only maintains but also improves upon the rating.
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 national airspace systems.
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 per cent Effective Implementation (EI) score the highest ever recorded for the country.
The regional average for West Africa is 61.1 per cent, while the global average is 70.4 per cent. Nigeria is therefore well positioned above both regional and global averages, a development that significantly boosts investor confidence and strengthens international aviation credibility.
Upon assuming office, President Tinubu redefined the priority areas of his administration to include enhancing infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth, and establishing the air transport sector as a major driver of economic prosperity by building a safe, secure, and efficient aviation industry aimed at making Nigeria a hub that meets international standards and best practices beyond 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.