Aviation: Nigeria re-elected to ICAO council

By The Citizen

Nigeria has been re-elected to the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Council with majority votes at the 38th assembly of the organization held on Saturday in Montreal, Canada a statement by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said on Monday.

The statement said the country emerged winner with a majority vote of 149 out of 172, representing 86 per cent of the total votes.

FAAN said this was indicative of how highly the country was regarded in the world air transport sector, adding that it would provide a strong platform for the election of the Nigerian representative in ICAO, Dr. Olumuyiwa Aliu, who would be standing for election as the President of the ICAO Council later this month.

The statement added that Nigeria's presence was strongly felt at the meeting as the Federal Government sent a delegation led by the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.

While addressing the assembly, Oduah was said to have reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to meeting all the ICAO standards and requirements for safety, security, aerodrome facility and regulation.

She also detailed how far the government had gone in actualising some of the objectives, including the current efforts in infrastructural renewal at the nation's airports.

The minister gave an assurance that all the set out goals in the nation's aviation sector would be accomplished within the framework of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The General Manager, Corporate Communication, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, observed that the massive support for Nigeria's membership of the ICAO Council by the international aviation community was an acknowledgement of the efforts the present administration was making to improve the sector.