The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified the circumstances surrounding Nigeria’s removal from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One program. In a statement released by the acting Director General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, it was emphasized that Nigeria’s de-listing in 2022 was not due to any deficiencies in the country’s aviation safety or security oversight system.
Najomo highlighted that Nigeria had previously attained the Category One status under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program in 2010, a status that was reaffirmed in 2014 and 2017 following re-evaluations by the US FAA. However, Nigeria was de-listed in 2022 after failing to meet certain criteria unrelated to safety or security concerns.
“It is important to clarify here that the de-listing of Nigeria has absolutely nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in our oversight system. Nigeria has undergone comprehensive ICAO Safety and Security Audits and recorded no Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or Significant Security Concern (SSeC) respectively.
“It is furthermore necessary to add that a Nigerian operator can still operate into the U.S. using an aircraft wet-leased from a country who has a current Category One status.
“The NCAA continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of States, including the United States of America, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. This provision gives States complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories,” the statement read.
The NCAA explained that one of the key requirements for maintaining Category One status is that indigenous airlines must provide services to the United States or carry the airline code as a US operator. No Nigerian airline currently fulfills this criterion, leading to the decision by the US government to revoke the permit.
Despite the de-listing, Najomo assured that Nigerian operators could still fly into the US using aircraft wet-leased from countries with current Category One status. He reiterated that the NCAA remains committed to adhering to international safety and security standards while respecting the sovereignty of all nations, including the United States, as outlined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The NCAA’s statement aims to dispel any misconceptions about Nigeria’s aviation safety and security standards, underscoring that the country’s removal from the FAA Category One program was solely based on operational requirements not being met by local airlines.
