The Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, has expressed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority's (NCAA's) full commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safety across all facets of civil aviation, declaring that safety is not negotiable.
Capt. Najomo, represented by the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), Alh. Ahmad Abba, made this declaration at the 1st Joint National Apron Safety Operations Workshop held in Lagos between 12th and 13th January, 2026.
While highlighting the importance of Apron Safety as the heartbeat of airport ground operations, Capt. Najomo, insisted that apron safety is not a peripheral concern - it is central to the integrity and efficiency of Nigeria aviation system.
The DGCA, therefore, commended the organisers of the Aircraft Marshaller Safety Consultative Forum and Joint Apron Safety Operations Workshop to address one of the most critical aspects of aviation safety (apron operations), which exemplifies NCAA's vision of a proactive, collaborative, and sustainable Safety Management System (SMS) culture.
"Our mandate is to regulate, enforce, and promote safety, and apron operations are no exception," he stressed.
He called for actionable recommendations that will directly inform NCAA’s regulatory framework, expressing her
readiness to continue to work hand-in-hand with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the handling companies, and all stakeholders to strengthen apron safety standards.