The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, has urged all agencies to sustain inter-agency cooperation, ensure readiness across technical and operational domains, and present a coherent national system ahead of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) scheduled for April, 2026.
Capt. Najomo gave this charge during separate high-level meetings with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the Corporate Headquarters, Abuja.
According to the DGCA, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, the ICVM is a national responsibility for Nigeria as an ICAO Contracting State, and not an assessment of the NCAA alone.
Hence, he commended NAMA for progress in addressing gaps in air navigation services, and praised NiMet for its strong performance in aeronautical meteorological services, highlighting the critical role of MET in-flight operations, air traffic services, and safety oversight.
Engr. Terese Ijeoma Ihenachor, Director of Safety Electronic and Engineering Services, who led the NAMA team, on behalf of the Managing Director, Engr Farouk Ahmed Umar, thanked the NCAA and pledged to address all remaining gaps.
Similarly, Prof. Charles Anosike, the Director-General, NiMet, expressed gratitude to NCAA management for their continued support and collaboration.
Present at the meeting were NCAA Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), Engr. Ahmed Abba; National Continuous Monitoring Coordinator, Engr. Iteke Ifeanyi; General Manager, Air Traffic Management, Alh. Sule Aminu; General Manager, Search & Rescue, Alh. Babangida Usman; Technical Assistant to the DGCA, Engr. Ini- Abasi Udofia, among other key NCAA officials.
The ICAO ICVM is aimed at
reviewing the status of previously identified safety deficiencies, validating corrective actions for any Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) under the USOAP CMA programme, and updating a State’s overall Effective Implementation (EI) score.
