By Chinelo Obogo
Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Zulum has described the safety of Nigeria’s aviation sector as commendable and affirmed that the feat is hinged on the leadership of the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo.
The governor, who made the commendation when he paid a courtesy visit to the DGCA in Abuja this week, said the country has witnessed tremendous improvement and development in key areas of the aviation sector since Capt. Najomo’s assumption of office and asserted that the Ag. DGCA has ensured improved compliance with flight regulations and safety issues.
Zulum explained that despite the challenges, Nigeria continues to attract investment in the aviation sector as a result of the confidence investors have in the regulatory authority, adding that with the commitment of the DG and the federal government’s drive to reposition the sector for a quantum leap, the sector is set to experience astronomical growth within the next few years.
He said, “No one is and should be surprised at what is happening in the sector. On a daily basis we see developments in different aspects of the industry. It all has to do with the leadership of the civil aviation authority.
“When you put the right person in position, this is what you get. Here you find a round peg in a round hole, so you do not expect anything different than the success being recorded. I commend the DGCA and his team and urge you to keep the flag flying.”
Responding, Capt. Najomo affirmed that the goal of the NCAA is to ensure the industry competes favourably with the best in the world, saying even though his mantra has always been “Ease of doing business,” the complete mantra is, “Ease of doing business without compromising safety.”
While commiserating with the governor over the recent flood incident in the state, Najomo commended the governor’s developmental strides achieved so far in the state and the handling of the flood.
Both leaders discussed areas of common interest that will also be of mutual benefit to the state and the NCAA.
In a related development, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) led by the Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Mr. Kamil Alawadhi, visited the NCAA this week, where the regulator expressed its readiness to partner with the aviation body in providing training and retraining for its workforce.
Among the top priorities discussed were delivering on core mandatory requirements such as Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), cost recovery, head cost, ticket cost, and provision of both IATA and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) training and retraining for the staff.