The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has commissioned the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) Flight Data Centre (FDC) to enhance aviation safety in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the minister emphasised that the facility aligns with one of his five-point agenda, which focuses on improving safety within the aviation sector.
“The fact that we are concentrating on improving safety within the sector means that we will continue to improve our ratings with ICAO,” he stated.
“The Flight Data Centre we just commissioned today is crucial. I’m sure you have heard technical experts explain how it works. It doesn’t operate only during incidents and serious accidents. It also functions routinely by tracking flight patterns, human activities and mechanical data. This allows us to conclude how to improve the sector, offer advice, and regulate more effectively, which is the core mandate of the NCAA,” he further explained.
The minister noted that the NCAA facility reflects the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving various sectors, transitioning from analog to digital methods in executing functions.
In his remarks at the event, the acting director-general of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo explained that Annex 19 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation mandates all states to establish safety data collection and processing systems (SDCPS) to capture, store, aggregate and analyse safety data and information. This is a key component of an effective State Safety Programme (SSP).
He stated that, in addition to the cost savings and efficiency benefits the authority would gain, the facility would help reduce the “likelihood of costly accidents and incidents; support the implementation of risk-based oversight by allocating resources more efficiently to higher-risk areas; and align NCAA with global best practices, boosting international confidence in Nigeria’s aviation safety standards.”
Najomo also mentioned that the NCAA had partnered with APS Aerospace Corporation, which boasts over 100 years of combined experience in Flight Data and Cockpit/ATC Audio Analysis.
Other key benefits he highlighted include enhanced safety oversight, the proactive detection of potential safety risks, data-driven decision-making to prevent serious incidents and accidents and the provision of critical insights into flight events leading to incidents. He also emphasised that the facility would improve the quality and speed of incident investigations.
