Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo (middle); Commissioner/CEO, Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), Engineer Henry Nwanyanwu (3rd left); Director, Technical Training and Support, BAGAIA, Engineer Ahmed Samuel (2nd left), and others, when BAGAIA team paid a visit to the NCAA Headquarters, in Abuja.

Nigeria’s recent exit from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Significant Safety Concern (SSC) status must not become a trigger for regulatory complacency, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned.

This is as the country moves to address structural weaknesses in its Instrument Flight Procedure (IFP) design and flight validation system.

The warning came as the NCAA concluded a recent 10-day technical assistance mission designed to strengthen Nigeria’s IFP Design and Flight Validation ecosystem and address 20 Short-Term Corrective Actions (STCAs) recommended by ICAO.

The mission, conducted from August 24 to September 4, involved the NCAA, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and international technical experts, with the objective of moving Nigeria beyond temporary corrective measures towards a sustainable safety oversight framework.

Speaking at the closing session of the mission at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, who represented the Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Alh. Ahmad Abba, described the vacation of the SSC as a milestone.

However, he cautioned that it should not be mistaken for the elimination of the systemic weaknesses that triggered the safety concern.

According to him, the resolution of the SSC should constitute the foundation for permanent regulatory transformation rather than an endpoint.

He stressed that the greatest danger following the resolution of a major regulatory concern is the possibility that corrective momentum could diminish once the immediate international compliance pressure has eased.

The NCAA therefore emphasised the need to institutionalise the reforms so that deficiencies associated with IFP design, validation, oversight and associated operational processes do not re-emerge.

The emphasis is significant because Instrument Flight Procedures are fundamental components of the aviation safety architecture. They provide the structured navigation guidance used by aircraft during critical phases of flight, particularly approaches and departures when visibility may be reduced by weather or other operational conditions.

Weaknesses in the design, validation, approval or oversight of such procedures can therefore have implications far beyond regulatory documentation, potentially affecting flight crew decision-making, terrain clearance, obstacle protection and the overall safety of aircraft operations.

Nigeria’s corrective programme consequently represents more than an administrative exercise. It is aimed at ensuring that the technical processes underpinning instrument procedures are properly designed, independently scrutinised, validated and maintained throughout their operational life.

The 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, supported by technical expert Eng. Ananias Sichone.

They worked jointly with technical personnel from the NCAA and NAMA, while the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation (BAGASOO) provided institutional oversight support. (Nigerian Tribune)