Cyber security expert tasks NCAA on firmness

AN aviation security expert, Mr Ifeanyi Ogochukwu has tasked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the need to be more firm in carrying out its regulatory duty in the sector.

Ogochukwu, who is also a cyber security expert, equally emphasized the need for the regulatory body to be more independent rather than remain as a stooge to government at the expense of its regulatory function.

While emphasizing that any issue that has to do with safety and security in the aviation environment should be taken seriously, Ogochukwu cautioned that any smallest problem can become colossal damage which can lead to loss of lives.

His words: “NCAA should not look back in terms of ensuring that the standards are met with regards to aviation regulation and all of that”.

Speaking on the impacts of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on the country’s aviation sector, Ogochukwu said that ICAO has actually done a lot of training programmes for Nigeria, particularly for the NCAA as the regulatory body.

According to him, when you have a strong regulator for the country, every other thing works. He, however, expressed pessimism on if Nigerians were really feeling the impact of those trainings while, he wondered that if the impacts were felt, Nigeria could have had a better aviation sector.

Speaking on security lapses at the airports, especially at the Lagos airport, the security expert said: “There is encroachment on the airport land. People enter the airport and steal from aircraft that are parked on the taxi-way. We need to do better than what we are doing right, because in

as much as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is doing what it needs to do, it is not enough; it is not adequate and we need to ensure that our airports are secured so that we wouldn’t have infiltration of people who have no business in the airport coming to create havoc.”

Proffering solutions, Ogochukwu suggested that  Nigeria needed to be more involved in the ICAO global affairs, saying;  “we are not involved in other things other than ICAO, most committees in ICAO, Nigeria is not really involved; so we need to start pushing our people to join those committees. Government needs to sponsor people, they might not be inside Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), NCAA or FAAN but specialists who are aviators need to be part of these committees”.