Nigeria has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Sierra Leone and Rwanda for technical support to enhance safety and security of Civil Aviation in the region.
The MoUs were signed by the Nigeria’s Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu and representatives of the two countries during the opening ceremony of the African-Ocean 7th Conference in Abuja.
Speaking on the MoUs, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said the development was to strengthen safety and efficiency of the sector as well as cooperation in the region.
According to him, “cooperation, whether regional or international speaks volume of how safe the Industry is and how well passengers are facilitated and how efficient the sector is.”
Sirika described aviation as an enabler and a positive factor for growth, development and robustness of the economy which he said informed the sector to enter into partnerships with the two countries.
“This is the only way to continue to make these initiatives relevant and sustainable, while contributing to the strengthening of safety, security and facilitation in the region, bearing in mind that a safe, secure and efficient air transport system is a natural impetus for socio-economic development of the region and a means to support trade and tourism.”
Speaking at the event, the NCAA Director General, Captain Nuhu said, the partnership with the two African countries was to assist each other where there are gaps or deficiencies in the system, adding that no civil aviation authorities globally have the capacity to do everything.
The experience of the last two years, Nuhu emphasised had underscored the fact that overcoming challenges and achieving meaningful growth in the industry, can only be done through cooperation, collaboration and co-ordination amongst stakeholders, saying: “I am therefore optimistic that this event, which is a combination of many meetings will further enhance the collective efforts within AFI region in the areas of aviation safety, security and facilitation.”
Source: tribuneonlineng.com