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Nigeria through the Civil Aviation Authority has reaffirmed its strong commitment to advancing aviation meteorology through active participation in the Cooperative Development of Aeronautical Meteorology in Africa-Indian Ocean Region Programme (CODEVMET AFI).
The CODEVMET AFI is a regional initiative established to fix long-standing air navigation deficiencies in meteorological (MET) services across Africa.
Delivering the keynote address at the Sixth Meeting of the Steering Committee of CODEVMET AFI in Abuja, Director-General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, represented by the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Engineer Godwin Balang, said the programme remains crucial to enhancing flight safety and operational efficiency across the African and Indian Ocean (AFI) region.
According to him, CODEVMET AFI was designed to enhance the capabilities of state civil aviation authorities in conducting safety oversight in the meteorological field while supporting service providers in complying with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards.
“The programme focuses on two main objectives: enhancing the capabilities of state CAAs in carrying out safety oversight in the MET field, and establishing a mechanism aimed at enabling MET service providers to comply with ICAO’s aviation safety standards,” Najomo stated.
He explained that Nigeria is one of nine African countries that initiated the CODEVMET project after ICAO assessed the level of meteorological infrastructure and services in their regions.
Recommendations from that assessment led to the establishment of a structured mechanism to help member states address deficiencies in air navigation through the CODEVMET project, which Nigeria formally joined in February 2017.
Najomo added that the project was conceived to help aeronautical meteorological (AEROMET) service providers in member states achieve compliance with international safety standards. It also ensures the provision of timely, reliable, and accurate meteorological information to aviation users in an efficient manner.
In addition, CODEVMET AFI aims to strengthen the capacity of state regulatory authorities to conduct safety oversight of aeronautical meteorological services through a comprehensive system approach that aligns with ICAO standards.
“The evaluation of the project conducted by ICAO in 2020 confirmed that CODEVMET was highly relevant to member states’ priorities and the Global Air Navigation Plan,” Najomo said. “It addresses regional priorities such as safety, integration of operations, and the specific needs of member states.”
The Director-General commended ICAO for sustaining the project’s momentum, noting that its implementation continues to advance regional aviation safety and operational integration.
He further expressed Nigeria’s satisfaction with the project’s progress, including the alignment of national meteorological legislation with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), capacity-building for compliance with aviation meteorological requirements, and implementation of Meteorological Quality Management Systems (QMS).
Najomo said the project also supports the Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) within the AMET thread, which form part of ICAO’s long-term strategy for modernizing global air navigation systems.
“I strongly believe that this initiative will continue to make a significant contribution to enhancing the quality of aeronautical meteorological services across the AFI region,” he added.
He noted that the three-day steering committee meeting in Abuja would review the progress made by CODEVMET AFI in assisting states and organizations in tackling air navigation deficiencies. The meeting will also identify challenges encountered during implementation and propose strategies for improved collaboration.
Declaring the meeting open, the Director-General reaffirmed Nigeria’s continued support for the goals of CODEVMET AFI, emphasizing that collective commitment among African states is essential for maintaining safe, efficient, and sustainable air transport operations.
Also in attendance were representatives from ICAO’s Western and Central African (WACAF) and Eastern and Southern African (ESAF) offices and various Civil Aviation Authorities, including Togo, Kenya, Senegal, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) and Senegal’s National Civil Aviation Agency.
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