The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has expressed confidence that the country will record an improved Effective Implementation (EI) score as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) begins a fresh audit of Nigeria’s aviation safety system.

The ongoing exercise, known as the ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), is a follow-up to the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach conducted between August and September 2023, where Nigeria achieved a 70.12 per cent rating.

Speaking at the opening of the audit in Abuja, Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the agency had intensified efforts to strengthen safety oversight across the sector since the last assessment.

He noted that the NCAA reviewed the previous findings, carried out root cause analyses, and implemented corrective measures to address identified deficiencies.

According to him, part of the reforms included deploying the Effective Participation of Member States in ICAO (EPMIC) platform to automate personnel licensing and aeromedical certification processes.

Najomo added that the authority also partnered with NorthWest Data Solution to introduce SMS Pro software, aimed at improving safety data reporting and management in line with ICAO Annex 19 standards.

To address gaps in technical capacity, he disclosed that about 100 inspectors in flight operations and airworthiness had undergone specialised training at approved institutions in Italy and the United Arab Emirates.

He further revealed that some personnel are currently undergoing on-the-job training under a collaboration with the Rwandan Civil Aviation Authority to obtain certification in specialised authorisations.

Najomo emphasised that Nigeria’s participation in the audit goes beyond improving its numerical score, stressing that the broader objective is to build a more resilient and efficient safety oversight system aligned with global standards.

In his remarks, ICAO team lead, Jerome Patoureaux, said the mission would evaluate Nigeria’s aviation safety framework through a three-stage process comprising preparation, on-site inspection and reporting.

He explained that the assessment would focus on key areas such as regulatory frameworks, personnel competence, and enforcement mechanisms to determine the country’s level of compliance with international aviation safety standards.