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ICAO, NCAA Begin Lagos, Abuja Airport Certification

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The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), have commenced the implementation of Africa- Indian Ocean (AFI) Plan Aerodrome Certification Project for Abuja and Lagos Airports.
The  announcement was made at a Pre-Certification meeting between the Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Mukhtar Usman, and the team from ICAO Western and Central Africa (WACAF) yesterday in Lagos.
Team Leader and Regional Director of ICAO WACAF, Mr. Mam Jallow said the objective of their mission was to follow up on the AFI Plan Certification project, and assist Nigeria with technical guidance toward the certification process.
According to him, two airports were selected from Nigeria for AFI Plan Aerodrome certification project, while one airport was selected from other states in the AFI Region.
“The two airports are Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“These two airports were chosen due to the volume of traffic in Nigeria. Nigeria has the largest passenger traffic in the African continent,” Jallow said.
He said the AFI Plan was adopted by the 36th ICAO Assembly to address the safety status of aircraft operations in the AFI Region.
Jallow said the plan was meant to address three focal areas which are: to establish and maintain a sustainable oversight system (infrastructure/capacity building) and assist states to resolve identified deficiencies within reasonable time.
According to him, it is also aimed at enhancing aviation safety culture of African aviation service providers.
He said the ICAO WACAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NCAA and FAAN as participants in the ICAO AFI Plan Project in Dakar, Senegal, on Aug. 11, 2016.
Jallow said that the ICAO WACAF meets twice a year and their next meeting was scheduled for May 2017.
He, therefore, said all hands should be on deck to achieve a successful certification and present the report during the meeting.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Usman affirmed that the project was crucial to global aviation, as regards safety and security of the airport environment.
He said that the aerodrome certification was in line with the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and all the necessary instrumentation for the process are already in place.
“The Aerodrome Certification process in Nigeria is carried out in five phases. At present, the ongoing certification of MMIA and NAIA have reached phases three and two respectively,” Usman said.
He noted that the NCAA had trained technical personnel who were competent to handle the challenges that might be encountered during the certification exercise.
The director-general expressed appreciation to the ICAO WACAF team for their efforts in providing additional momentum to the aerodrome certification.
He assured the body that Nigeria would meet up with the certification requirements within the stipulated time frame.
The Tide gathered that the team also met with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) as part of the Pre-Certification formalities.
The delegation, alongside the aviation top bosses, thereafter undertook an inspection of facilities at the MMIA.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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