Director-General (DG),
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, has identified compliance to rules and regulations in the Nigerian aviation industry as a major challenge facing the sector.
Akinkuotu said this during a two-day seminar on Aviation Laws organised for judges and other stakeholders in Lagos recently.
It was organised by the agency in collaboration with the Socioeconomic Rights Initiative (SERI).
He said that there were laws to safeguard the sector, adding that the challenge with the industry was compliance to the laid-down rules by its stakeholders.
The DG noted that NCAA would ensure full compliance with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Akinkuotu explained that the essence of the seminar was to educate judges and lawyers on the intricacies of aviation industry practices.
According to him, “When I took over this job, I was asked what the problems were in the sector. “My candid response was that we have enough laws, but what we need is compliance. If we comply, we will have a very save environment, despite the changes in the laws.
“I beg all of us to comply with the laws. If we comply, we will have a better and a safer society. “Our primary job is promotion and enforcement of safety in the sector with the compliance of the eight critical elements as being promoted by ICAO, “ he said.
The DG noted that the aviation industry as international business, required standard legal framework to function properly in any environment.
Hon. Justice Chima Nweze, of the Appeal Court, Lagos, said that, the seminar would further broaden the knowledge of the participants about aviation practices in the world.
He appealed to participants to seize the opportunity offered by the seminar to know more rules and regulations of the industry, adding that this would make their jobs easier.