The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the United Kingdom Department for Transport (DfT) have reaffirmed their commitment “to strengthening aviation security cooperation, with emphasis on specialised training, intelligence sharing and strategic engagement.”
NCAA says “the renewed commitment was highlighted during a meeting to explore additional areas of collaboration and strengthen existing ties between both parties, held at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja.”
Representing the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, the Director of Human Resources and Administration (DHR&A), Dr (Mrs) Anastasia Gbem, welcomed “the UK delegation and reiterated the Authority’s commitment to strengthening aviation security through continuous training and capacity development.”
Capt. Najomo noted that “equipping personnel with the necessary skills and expertise remains critical to effective safety and security oversight, while expressing appreciation for the UK’s continued technical support.”
Providing further insight into the long-standing relationship, the Director of Aviation Security Regulation (DAVSEC), Dr Bernard Omogo, recalled that “the partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018, had facilitated several training programmes and technical engagements.”
Dr Omogo expressed “deep optimism about expanding the collaboration to address evolving aviation security challenges.”
The Head of Strategic Engagement, Aviation Security International Operations, Mr. Patrick Duncan who also led the UK delegation proposed “a more strategic approach to the partnership, entailing regular high-level dialogue, intelligence sharing and cooperation on emerging airport security technologies.”
Mr. Duncan commended the NCAA and other stakeholders for their continued cooperation during successive airport visitations and security assessments, noting that, “the UK’s recommendations were intended to support mutual development through collaboration rather than prescribe corrective action plans.”
The meeting had in attendance the Authority’s directors, aviation security managers, inspectors, other officials, together with members of the UK delegation.