NIGERIA MASTERWEB DAILY NEWS

*Nigeria Finally Attains FAA Category 1 Safety Status

By Lateef Lawal

It is indeed a 50th Independence Anniversary gift as promised by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren when he spoke of his optimism last month with aviation journalists that the attainment of Category 1 Safety Status will be an anniversary gift to the government of the Federation of Nigeria.

Last Wednesday, United States of America(USA) through her Ambassador in Nigeria, Ms Robin Sanders announced in Abuja that Nigeria had scaled the hurddle and is now recognised as belonging to the Category 1 Safety Status of the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) of the U.S.A after three years of strenuous upgrading exercise entered into with the country's regulatory agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA).

Sanders explained that with the new safety rating, Nigeria registered aircraft will be able to operate direct flights between the U.S and Nigeria without safety hinderance.

She therefore charged Nigeria, especially the regulatory agency to sustain the status already attained in continued collaboration with the United States of America to ensure the maintenance of the highest safety standards. ( Continues below..... )

Photo Above: FAAN logo On A Nigerian Map in Nigerian Flag Colours

Sanders urged Nigeria to keep the flame aglow in sustaining the safety rating and noted that in the next 18-24 months, Nigeria will come under global watch towards ensuring that the Category 1 Status is sustained and also urged Nigeria to step up its efforts at maintaining hundred per cent full body search at all airports in addition to its efforts at acquiring three dimensional full image body scanners.

She said that the achievement of category one is an important milestone for Nigeria and US bilateral relationship. Sanders explained that Nigeria is one of the African countries including Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa that are Category 1 rated.

Receiving the Category 1 certification documents, from the U.S Ambassador on behalf of Nigerian government, the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren expressed gratitude to the US government for all its contributions for the long journey that started a few years ago.

In her remarks, Nigeria's Minister of Aviation, Mrs Fidelia Njeze, lauded the assistance of the U.S government in the attainment of the safety rating while she listed the benefits to include reduced costs on aircraft insurance premium, better and easier access on aircraft leasing from aircraft manufacturers as well as attracting foriegn investment into Nigeria. ( Continues below..... )

Photo Above: Nigeria Minister of Aviation, Mrs Fidelia Njeze

Njeze assured the Nigeria will do everything possible to sustain the safety rating , which she said is a befitting gift for Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary. She commended Arik Air as one of the airlines that will benefit from the safety rating in flying into the U.S with its domestic crew as well as Nigeria registered aircraft.

Also speaking the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Aviation matters, Captain Shehu Usman Iyal expressed gratutude to the US government for the feat, which he said is no mean achievement considering the many years the Nigerian government through its safety reform agenda has been pursuing the safety rating. Iyal said the Federal Government is committed to sustaining the category one status through various measures aimed at promoting safety and security in the aviation sector.

He traced the pursuit of category one to the tenure of the Obasanjo administration, which he said was poised to turn around the aviation sector with its many intervention measures and programmes affirming that sustaining the safety rating will not be difficult.

He praised various agencies and bodies including the World Bank, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and others that made Category 1 Safety rating for Nigeria a reality.

Lateef Lawal (NigerianAviationNews)

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*Tags: Nigerians, Airlines, FAA, Category, Safety, Status, Abuja, Lagos, Africa, Masterweb