NCAA Inaugurates National Facilitation Programme

Nigerian Civil Aviation Author
ity (NCAA) has inaugurated a committee which would serve as a vehicle for carrying out the national facilitation programme.
The facilitation programme according to the authority’s spokesman, Mr Sam Adurogboye, is in pursuant to the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which stipulates that each contracting state shall establish a national facilitation committee.
During the inauguration of the committee in Lagos recently, the Director of Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD), Adamu Abdullahi who represented the acting Director General, Mr Benedict Adeyileka said the committee was composed by the heads of the government agencies and chief executive officers of the national organisation representing aircraft operators and airport operators.
Adamu stated that for the purpose of carrying out the work of the committee, members may designate one or more middle level management staff in their respective organisations to represent them in meetings at the working group.
The primary responsibility for the national facilitation committee, Adurogboye said was domiciled with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Nigeria.
He noted that the purpose of the national facilitation programme was to implement the Chicago Convention Mandate which requires every contracting state to provide for and facilitate the border crossing formalities that must be accomplished with respect to aircraft engaged in international operations, their passengers, crew and cargo.
Adamu said the committee which would be headed by the NCAA Director General, shall comprise officials from the Aviation Ministry, Customs, Immigration, Police, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Agriculture/Environment, Security and Narcotics, Public Health, FAAN, NAMA, Tourism Ministry, International Airlines and National Aviation Security Committees.
He said the corresponding airport facilitation committees shall be headed by the Airport manager and the representatives of these agencies, Customs, Immigration, Quarantines, States Security Service, NDLEA (Narcotics), Port Health, FAAN, NAMA, Ministry of Tourism, and International Airlines.
“The responsibility of the national facilitation committee is to designate custom airports in Nigeria, develop producers through which operators schedules and non-schedule services may request permission to land or depart from customs airport and arrange for boarder inspection services at the custom airport,” he said.
According to him, it is also meant to develop programmes for control of security problems such as document fraud, illegal immigration, smuggling and touting, support the interested border control agencies in the establishment and maintenance of effective inspection systems at the airport and in their effort to nationalize their respective procedures.