ICAO Audit: Nigeria lost 12 points due to uncertified airports, says DG CAA

Nigeria’s Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Musa Nuhu has disclosed that the country lost 12 points in the recent ICAO audit due to its failure to recertify its international airports.

Speaking during an interview session with aviation correspondents at the book launch of Sam Adurogboye in Lagos on Saturday, Nuhu said the country performed well during the audit, but needs to close some gaps in the shortest possible time in order to earn maximum points.

He explained: “Nigeria got 70 per cent for a full audit. What we did was a full audit and the last time we had a full audit was in 2016 and after the audit, there is a period of time they will send you their report after 90 days and then, you have 45 days to do something; another 45 days, then another 30 days. Then, a total of 210 days from my calculation before ICAO officially notifies us. During that period, you have an opportunity to rectify some of the issues and close the gaps.”

He noted that the global average score for an ICAO audit is 75 per cent for a full audit, which includes a window period that allows for a mini audit aimed at reviewing identified gaps.

“What most states do after the audit, they call for what is called ICAO Coordination Validation Mission (ICVM). That is like a mini-audit to come and review, see all the evidence, all what you have done to close all the gaps. So, that 75 per cent global average that you are seeing, is not from the full audit. It is from the ICVM. So, without even going for the ICVM, we got 70 per cent.”

According to him, “It is almost impossible to go above 70 per cent with ICAO if you have not done your airport certification. We have not done our airport certification in Nigeria for the five international airports due to some challenges and difficulties.”

He said the nation’s five international airports have failed to meet requirements for certification, and it would be disastrous for him to grant such certification.

“There is no need for me to sign airport certification when I know our airports do not meet the requirements. That will be more disastrous for Nigeria,” said Nuhu.

Explaining why the recertification of Lagos and Abuja international airports is difficult after the initial certification, Nuhu said it is worrisome that the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) failed to meet requirements for certification of the airports, but promised that the regulatory agency (Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority) will work with FAAN to ensure that the airports are recertified in the next one and a half years.

“You give certification for three years and it expires. Unfortunately, the airport operator for many reasons has challenges and they could not meet the requirements for certification. It is worrisome, but we are working with them. Certification of some airports has been going on for longer than necessary, but the NCAA cannot give certification when you don’t meet the requirements.

“If somebody is applying for AOC and he doesn’t meet the requirements, what do we do? Because of that certification issue, we lost about 12 points in our audit, but I would rather miss those 12 points than to do certification that doesn’t meet the requirements. Then, ICAO will come and say ‘this certificate you gave is bogus.’ That does more damage to the credibility of the entire system,” Nuhu explained.