By: Nana Appiah
Acquaye
The Nigeria Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) and the United Kingdom Department for Transport (DfT) have
reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening aviation security cooperation,
with emphasis on specialised training, intelligence sharing and strategic engagement.
The renewed commitment was
highlighted during a meeting held at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja on
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, to explore additional areas of collaboration and
strengthen existing ties between the two institutions.
Representing the
Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, the Director of Human
Resources and Administration, Dr. (Mrs.) Anastasia Gbem, welcomed the UK
delegation and reiterated the Authority's commitment to strengthening aviation
security through continuous training and capacity development.
Najomo noted that equipping
personnel with the necessary skills and expertise remains critical to effective
safety and security oversight, while expressing appreciation for the UK's
continued technical support.
Providing further insight
into the longstanding relationship, the Director of Aviation Security
Regulation, Dr. Bernard Omogo, recalled that the partnership, formalised
through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018, had facilitated several training
programmes and technical engagements.
Omogo expressed optimism
about expanding the collaboration to address evolving aviation security
challenges.
Responding, the delegation
lead and Head of Strategic Engagement, Aviation Security International
Operations, Patrick Duncan, proposed a more strategic approach to the
partnership, involving regular high-level dialogue, intelligence sharing and
cooperation on emerging airport security technologies.
Duncan also commended the
NCAA and other stakeholders for their continued cooperation during successive
airport visitations and security assessments.
He stated that the UK's
recommendations were intended to support mutual development through
collaboration rather than prescribe corrective action plans.
The meeting was attended by
NCAA directors, aviation security managers, inspectors and other officials,
together with members of the UK delegation.
