Posted by Sade Williams
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), on Friday, inaugurated the ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre ( ASTC) at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) training school at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, as it handed a Certificate of a Recognition to the Authority.
In the same development, the FAAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ON Aviation Security with the British government in a bid to further aid manpower development in the sector.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Managing director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma, said the objective of the centre is to contribute to the development of manpower, adding that it is also expected to meet the training needs of the West Africa region and even beyond.
“It will provide opportunity to handle all aviation security training in West Africa and other countries”, he said.
Also speaking, Director general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, said the endorsement of the school by ICAO showed that FAAN was ready to contribute to the ICAO global aviation security training programme.
According to him, ‘ the request for the designation of FAAN AVSEC Training school as n ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre was made on June 8, 2017 after which an evaluation by ICAO was conducted in May 2018 by the Regional Security Officer for Western and Central African Office (WACAF) and under 24 months, the request was granted’.
While thanking ICAO for the privilege, Usman said the reason for the request for an ASTC was purely for the provision of VSEC training courses to cater for the English speaking states in the West Africa Sub-region.
“In furtherance of our position on this request, I wish to inform ICAO that presently in Nigeria, there are five certified ICAO AVSEC Instructors and over 60 qualified national AVSEC instructors that can be of service at the ASTC.
“It is hoped that the designation of the FAAN training school as an ICAO ASTC will attract patronage from the airport communities of the West Africa sub-region and its environs thereby contributing to the development and improvement of aviation security training in the region and elsewhere”, he said.
Also speaking, ICAO Regional Director, Mr. Mam Sait Jallow said one of the main pillars of ICAO’s aviation training policy is the recognition f raining organizations adding that during assessment of the orgnisation, ICAO validates the entity’s to provide competency-based training and to manage it in a manner that effectively suppers the training of aviation professionals with the appropriate skills.
He added that, ‘with the recognition of the ASTC of Nigeria, the network of aviation security training centres (ASTC) now includes 35 centers wisely distributed in all ICAO regions, to provide aviation security training at the international (ICAO ), regional and national levels to all categories of personnel involved or responsible for implementation of security measures, policies and procedures in accordance with its strategic objectives to improve the level of implementation of Annex 17 Standards.
He added further that ‘the certificate of recognition issued by ICAO to the ASTC of Nigeria means that it has been duly demonstrated that the Centre meets the general and specific requirements in this respect, and that is able to continue to meet such requirement during the period of validity of the certificate of recognition. Marinating the certificate therefore requires all stakeholders to redouble their efforts through the implementation of a coherent and comprehensive monitoring programme”.