We Have Improved Our Safety Aviation Capacity– Sirika

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, says Nigeria’s safety capacity has improved in line with the international standards.

Sirika said this in Lagos on Monday when he was presented with Nigeria’s Category 1 certification by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Usman Mukhar.

Recently, the country  retained its CAT 1 safety status following an audit conducted on its aviation facilities by the United States Federal Aviation Administration.

A team of auditors from the FAA visited Nigeria for the audit in November 2017.

The eight critical elements examined for the audit were legislation, regulations, organisation, technical staff, technical guidance tools, licensing, continuous surveillance and resolution of safety concerns.

Sirika said, “I thank the DG and his team for doing us proud to retain the category one certification, which has been presented to me.

“The travelling public might not be aware but we in aviation are aware of this feat. The Category 1 status is very significant to the industry.”

Usman, who presented the certification as a birthday gift to the minister, stated that Nigeria first got it in 2010, retained it in 2014 and had sustained it.

According to him, in-house personnel were used to achieve the feat unlike before when external consultants were needed.

“The audit was for the Category One certification to enable direct flight connections between the US and other countries,” he said.