Nigeria lost 12 points in the recent ICAO audit, primarily due to the non-certification of airports. Captain Musa Nuhu, Director General of Civil Aviation, emphasised that certification won’t be rushed, stating, “It is almost impossible to get over 70% in an ICAO Audit if airport certification has not been done.”
Despite challenges, airport certification for the five international airports is underway.
Nuhu acknowledged the worrisome nature of the situation but highlighted the importance of meeting certification requirements. He expressed, “I would rather lose those 12 points than do a certification that does not meet the requirements. That does more damage to the credibility of our entire system.”
Furthermore, Nuhu clarified that Nigeria’s score against the global average excluded an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM).
He said,” The ICVM is like a mini audit. They come to review and see all evidence of what you have done to close the gaps. So that 75% is for the ICVM and we from the initial audit got 70% without it.
He explained that Nigeria has approximately 210 days before ICAO notifies it, providing an opportunity to address the identified issues.
Highlighting the comprehensive nature of the audit, Nuhu mentioned that the last full audit occurred in 2016, resulting in a score of 68%.
