NCAA seeks cooperation of NAMA, NiMet ahead of ICAO assessment

Aviation agencies in Nigeria have been charged to sustain inter-agency cooperation, ensure readiness across technical and operational domains, and present a coherent national system.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, gave this charge at separate meetings with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) ahead of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) in April 2026.

Captain Chris Najomo, at the meetings in Abuja on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, said the ICVM is a national responsibility for Nigeria as an ICAO Contracting State, and not an assessment of the NCAA alone.

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.

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.