By ebosele@hotmail.com –
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has completed a 10-day technical assistance mission aimed at embedding long-term structural reforms into Nigeria’s Instrument Flight Procedure (IFP) Design and Flight Validation ecosystem.
The on-site mission, which ran from August 24 to September 4, 2026, focused on addressing the 20 Short-Term Corrective Actions (STCAs) recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The initiative follows Nigeria’s recent vacation of its Significant Safety Concern (SSC) status, with the NCAA now shifting its focus from immediate compliance measures to building sustainable regulatory and institutional systems.
Speaking during the closing session at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja , the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, represented by the Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Alhaji Ahmad Abba, mni, said the resolution of the SSC should be regarded as a foundation for permanent regulatory transformation rather than an endpoint.
He cautioned against complacency following the vacation of the SSC, stressing the need to strengthen the underlying regulatory and institutional framework to prevent the deficiencies that led to the safety concern from recurring.
According to him, sustained improvements in aviation safety require continuous capacity development, robust regulatory oversight and institutional processes capable of maintaining compliance beyond individual corrective actions.
The technical assistance mission was implemented across five primary work packages and led by Eng. Mukuka Besa of SkyALITE Aviation Digital Systems and the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority, alongside technical expert Eng. Ananias Sichone.
The exercise also involved a joint working team comprising personnel from the NCAA and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), reflecting a coordinated approach to strengthening Nigeria’s IFP design and flight validation capabilities.
The mission provided an opportunity for technical experts and Nigerian aviation stakeholders to assess existing processes, identify areas requiring further institutional strengthening and support the development of sustainable solutions aligned with international aviation safety standards.
At the conclusion of the exercise, the mission team expressed appreciation to the management and staff of the NCAA and NAMA for their commitment, cooperation and hospitality throughout the engagement.
The team also acknowledged the African Business Aviation Group of Safety Oversight Organisations (BAGASOO) for providing institutional oversight support, describing the collaboration as an example of the value of cross-border technical cooperation in strengthening aviation safety across Africa.
