A team of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) auditors has arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, to commence the 2024 ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP) through the Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) for Lagos and Abuja airports today.
The audit, which will run for two (2) weeks, will terminate on March 22, 2024, and will cover the following areas: inflight security (IFS), passenger and baggage security (PAX), acts of unlawful interference (AUI), facilitation (FAL), legislation (LEG), training (TRG), quality control function (QCF), operations (OPS), and cargo, mail, and catering (CGO). Members of the four-man team are Callum Vine (team leader), James Mabala, Tebogo Mphela, and Alagie Jeng.
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, while welcoming the team of auditors to Nigeria for the all-important mission, acknowledged the concerted efforts of the Universal Security Audit Programme to uphold the highest standards of security across all facets of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
“Through rigorous assessments, comprehensive evaluations, and collaborative partnerships, Nigeria aims to fortify her defences against evolving threats and vulnerabilities, Keyamo declared.
The minister, who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, commended the dedication and diligence of all stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, security agencies, service providers, and aviation security personnel, “whose unwavering commitment ensures the success of Nigeria’s aviation security endeavours.”.
In his remarks, the Acting Director General of Civil Aviation, Nigeria, Captain Chris Ona Najomo, emphasised that the objectives of the ICAO USAP CMA are to improve global aviation security (AVSEC) through auditing and continuous monitoring of the AVSEC performance of member states by assessing the level of effective implementation of critical elements of the States’ AVSEC oversight system, which provides an indication of the sustainability of the State’s AVSEC system.
Other objectives outlined by Najomo are to assess the indicative degree of compliance of the state with Annex 9 and 17 concerning the facilitation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, AVSEC standards, and security-related standards, respectively.
According to Najomo, as part of the on-site auditing process, both Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, have been selected as airports where verification of the implementation of security measures will be carried out.
He, however, expressed optimism that Nigeria will surpass the last rating with the progressive transformations that have taken place in the industry since the last exercise and considering the level of commitment of the current administration to ensure secure, safe, and efficient air transportation in Nigeria.
The DGCA promised to provide support and maximum cooperation towards ensuring a hitch-free exercise.
The ICAO audit team had earlier last year audited the sector but raised questions on some critical areas like airport safety and structures, which led to Nigeria scoring 70 per cent as against the accepted 75 per cent pass mark.
The audit team, in line with the rules, gave Nigeria a 90-day period within which it is expected that the grey areas uncovered during the last audit must have been closed for another audit.
