Murtala Muhammed International Airport Becomes First To Be Certified In Nigeria

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos became the first airport in Nigeria to be certified by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The certificate was on Monday officially presented to the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Saleh Dunoma, by the Director- General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, at a ceremony at the NCAA’s headquarters in Lagos state.

Speaking during the ceremony, Usman said the certificate was valid for a period of three years.

The DG, NCAA further said the current drive toward certification of Nigerian airports was significant not only as a requirement by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and Nigerian civil aviation regulations but even more importantly as one of the critical safety targets of the Federal Government.

According to him, the declaration which was made in July 2012 mandated all African countries to certify their international airports.

He described the certification as an enabler for the attainment of a regional hub, which Nigeria desired for Lagos and Abuja.

“Aerodrome certification can be defined as a process by which a state can demonstrate that airports in its territory meet regulatory safety requirements on a continuing basis.

“It is providing uniform conditions for safe and efficient operation of aircraft from all other states as required by Article 15 of the Chicago Convention.”

Literally, it means the Lagos international airport is the first airport to be certified, out of the 22 airports managed by FAAN.