Wiith the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) scheduled for April 2026, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, has called on all aviation agencies to deepen inter-agency cooperation, strengthen operational readiness, and present a unified national aviation system.
Capt. Najomo made the call during separate high-level meetings with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at their corporate headquarters in Abuja.
He stressed that the ICVM is a national responsibility for Nigeria as an ICAO Contracting State, and not an assessment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) alone. According to him, success at the validation mission will depend on collective preparedness across technical, operational, and safety oversight domains.
The DGCA commended NAMA for the progress made in closing gaps in air navigation services, and praised NiMet for its strong performance in aeronautical meteorological services, noting the critical role of meteorology in flight operations, air traffic management, and overall aviation safety.
Speaking on behalf of the NAMA Managing Director, Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar, the Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services, Engr. Terese Ijeoma Ihenachor, thanked the NCAA for its guidance and assured that all outstanding gaps would be addressed ahead of the mission.
Similarly, the Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, expressed appreciation to NCAA management for its continued support and collaboration, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to meeting ICAO standards.
Also present at the meetings were the NCAA Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Engr. Ahmed Abba; the National Continuous Monitoring Coordinator, Engr. Iteke Ifeanyi; the General Manager, Air Traffic Management, Alhaji Sule Aminu; the General Manager, Search and Rescue, Alhaji Babangida Usman; the Technical Assistant to the DGCA, Engr. Ini-Abasi Udofia; and other senior officials.
The ICAO ICVM is designed to review the status of previously identified safety deficiencies, validate corrective actions for any Significant Safety Concerns under the USOAP Continuous Monitoring Approach, and update Nigeria’s overall Effective Implementation score.
