Aviation Safety: NCAA Commences ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission

Nigeria has commenced the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) to improve its aviation safety oversight capabilities, starting on Wednedsay, 15th – 22nd April, 2026.

Delivering his opening remarks, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, welcomed the team, led by Jerome Patoureaux, describing the mission as a critical milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards attaining global excellence in aviation safety oversight.

According to the DGCA, the overarching objective of the audit is to institutionalise a resilient safety oversight system that fosters continuous improvement of safety performance in perfect alignment with the FGN’s policy on strict adherence to international safety regulations which, in itself, will automatically elevate Nigeria’s ICAO rating.

To address identified deficiencies from the ICAO USOAP-CMA, conducted from August to September 2023, Capt. Najomo noted that Nigeria has conducted root cause analysis, and promptly developed series of corrective actions which had been validated by ICAO, providing a clear roadmap for implementation.

While assuring that Nigeria has put in the work and will, during the mission, present these evidences for the team validation, he expressed deep gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), for the unwavering support towards the high-level exercise.

He also commended directors of the relevant audit areas, the National Continuous Monitoring Coordinator (NCMC), the Focal Points and other members of the team who had worked tirelessly.

Responding, the lead auditor declared that the purpose of the audit is to help Nigeria address areas of deficiency with a view to improving its safety oversight capability.

The scope of the ICVM include LEG/ORG/PEL/OPS/AIR/AIG/ANS/AGA as well as visit to the NCAA regional office and industry service providers.

In attendance were NCAA management team, the NCMC, focal and alternate points for the audit areas, technical experts, and representatives from the Ministry of Aviation, BAGASOO, NSIB, NAMA, NIMET and service providers.