The Federal Government has begun the process of certifying the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
Many experts have been expressing concern over non-certification of any of the Nigerian airports. However, the certification has now taken off, beginning with two major airports in Abuja and Lagos.
Daily Trust reports that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in conjunction with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), commenced the implementation of the AFI Plan Aerodrome Certification Project for the two airports, according to the Director General of NCAA, Capt Muhtar Usman who addressed the ICAO Western and Central African (WACAF) during the Pre–Certification meeting held in Lagos.
The Regional Director of ICAO WACAF, Mam Sait Jallow, who led the team, said that the objective of the mission was to follow up on the AFI Plan Certification project and assist Nigeria with technical guidance towards the certification process.
Jallow said both airports were selected from Nigeria for AFI Plan Aerodrome certification project, while one airport was selected from other states in the AFI Region.
These two airports, he said, were chosen due to their volume of traffic in Nigeria which has the largest air passenger traffic in Africa.
The DG stressed that the project is crucial to global aviation as regards safety and security of the airport environment.