Chris Najomo, acting director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), says the federal government will improve passenger experiences through inclusive regulation.

Mr Najomo made the declaration during his opening remarks at the North-Central Regional Air Transportation Summit 2024 in Abuja on Wednesday.

He was represented by Capt. Donald Spiff, NCAA director, operations, licensing and training. 

According to him, efforts will be made towards inclusive regulatory practices that foster sector growth, safety, service excellence, and improved passenger experiences.

“With the support of the minister, we at the NCAA are committed to rebranding, reinventing, and rejuvenating the Nigerian aviation sector for international competitiveness, sustainable growth and development.

” No doubt, a sustainable regulatory framework built on collective engagement and strategic collaboration is critical to achieving operational excellence, enhanced productivity, and sector growth without compromising safety standards.

“This approach, aligned with local and international regulations, is a cornerstone of the NCAA’s strategic focus,“ Mr Najomo said.

He reiterated that the federal government would continue to address service deficiencies and poor passenger experiences stemming from inadequate funding.

According to him, the theme of the summit, “Building a Viable Aviation Industry for National Economic Growth and Development”, is designed to foster dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders.

He said that the specific objectives of the summit included bringing together critical stakeholders to advocate for adequate funding, sound financial management and operational safety in Nigeria’s civil aviation.

He said that the summit would also review and enhance existing service standards to align with international standards and benchmarks set by IATA, ICAO and ACI.

“It will secure commitments from stakeholders to adopt adequate funding and financial management practices in line with the minister’s five-point agenda.

“It will also assess existing local laws and international regulations to ensure compliance and improve funding, financial management, and safety.

“The summit will help identify gaps in infrastructure and technology to support financial management and operational safety and recommend remedial actions,“ he said.

Mr Najomo said that the summit will also consider strengthening airlines and other service providers to enhance operational efficiency and international competitiveness.

He said that the summit would look into supporting the sustainable growth of the local airline industry while promoting compliance with national and international obligations.

“Developing a Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) to improve funding, financial management, service excellence, and operational safety.

“At the NCAA, we are optimistic that this summit will make an invaluable contribution to the Civil Aviation Master Plan currently being developed and accelerate the achievement of both domestic and international goals.

“By enhancing operational efficiency, financial stability, and service excellence, we will create tremendous value for all stakeholders, “ he said.

He said that the NCAA had developed key Strategic Focus Areas (SFAs) as part of “NCAA Project 2024”,  which had served as its KPIs and SMART goals for collective corporate governance efforts for 2024.

According to the NCAA boss, the Nigerian economy may be facing significant macroeconomic and developmental challenges, but they are surmountable.

“They can be overcome through implementing innovative approaches.

“At the highest levels of governance, President Bola Tinubu laid out an Eight-Point Agenda for economic restoration and growth, which redefined presidential priority areas of administration.

“This represented a clarion call for all government agencies to efficiently execute their respective mandates. The aviation sector aligned with the President’s priority areas through a Five-Point Agenda.

“This remains crucial, given the vital role civil aviation plays in national economic development, international trade and investment opportunities, “ he said.

According to him, the summit is timely and critical to achieving the statutory mandate and corporate goals of the NCAA. 

(NAN)