By Okuneye Moyosola
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have expressed willingness to develop human capacity in the nation’s transport sector, with special emphasis on the aviation sector.
The Managing Director, FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu stressed this even as he assured of the agency’s commitment to improving the safety and standards of airport operations in the country.
He stated this while speaking at the 2019 CILT Leadership Impact Programme and Dinner which held at Sheraton hotels in Lagos, last week.
Yadudu, who was the lead speaker on the theme, “Airport Operations and Standards of Safety in Nigeria”, also highlighted some measures undertaken by the authority to improve safety in the industry.
“FAAN ensures that safety is a core value of any organization. Safety is a journey but not a destination. FAAN’s safety culture is from the top management to down which encourages healthy reporting system. We are investing in airport infrastructure, human capacity development, wildlife habitat modification and training to improve safety standards”
“FAAN also promotes learning and discussions on possible solutions which leads to continuous reduction in the rates of accident. We meet with airlines and also discuss issues because we want to be able to serve them better. Security threats are evolving and we are also evolving to improve safety.” he said.
Similarly, the Deputy National President of CILT, Mr. Alban Igwe re-emphasized the need for human capital in improving the safety of the aviation industry.
“The greatest instrument is the human capital because if you talk about any threat, there must be element of compromise. The machines that are installed are not sufficient to keep the airport working; it needs humans to be able to operate. If you have a policy that takes care of the human capital, you are 90 percent safe,” Igwe told journalists on the sidelines.
At the event, the Managing Director, Fllux Logistics Limited, Mr. Solomon Aigbaboa, applauded FAAN for ensuring improved standards of aviation safety and urged the authority to do more to improve infrastructural standards at the nation’s airports.
“The aviation sector is a very critical sector and that is why we are concerned about its safety. A slight mistake can be very costly. The infrastructure at the airports are not up to the best standards, however, in terms of safety, there have been a lot of reforms and I can say that we have massive improvement in our air safety” he told our correspondent.
