VZCZCXRO9923
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #2313/01 3310810
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260810Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4546
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS PRIORITY 0330
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO USTR- AGAMA; USTDA - FITTS/MARIN; EXIM - JRICHTER; AND 
USAID AFR/SD FOR MICHAEL CURTIS 
DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA MEL CINTRON 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ECON EAID ASEC ERTD PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: USG LED CIVIL AVIATION PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP 
MOVES SECTOR FORWARD 
 
REF: ABUJA 2207 
 
¶1. Summary. The U.S. Mission led a public private partnership (PPP) 
aviation workshop on November 17-18 with the Nigerian Civil Aviation 
Authority (NCAA) and the Boeing Company to catapult Nigeria one step 
closer to attaining U.S. Federal Aviation Authority Category 1 
status.  The workshop rallied industry stakeholders and put them to 
work to create a first draft industry needs assessment in the eight 
critical areas necessary to attain Category 1 status.  This first 
ever stakeholders session on the Nigerian aviation sector will lead 
to better coordination, improved safety and security and possibly 
Category 1 status in the future.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. In an effort to assist Nigeria in attaining its Category 1 status 
from the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the Ambassador led a 
workshop of all aviation stakeholders that took place on November 
17-18, 2008.  The public private partnership (PPP) included the USG, 
NCAA and the Boeing Company; and sponsor support from- Arik Air, 
Chanchangi Airlines, Union Bank, United Bank For Africa (UBA), 
Zenith Bank, and Aerocontractors Airline.  It was hailed as the 
first ever industry stakeholder meeting on Nigerian Aviation 
Sector. 
 
¶3. Over 200 industry reps attend the workshop.  In her opening 
remarks, the Ambassador told the audience that it is not just the 
Nigerian government (GON) that is responsible for attaining Category 
1, but it takes all the operators, service providers, and other 
industry stakeholders to participate and work together. 
 
¶4. The event was centered on four concurrent workshops over two 
days.  The workshop sessions had presentations from industry reps, 
briefings on the status of the industry, and suggestions on how to 
overcome obstacles.  The four workshop titles were Safety and 
Security with concentration on Regulatory Oversight; Aviation 
Infrastructure; Aviation Environment with concentration on the 
Challenges of the Nigerian Operators; and Manpower 
Requirements/Human Capacity.  Each workshop examined the eight key 
areas necessary to attain Category 1 status: 
-- Legislation; 
-- Regulation; 
-- Civil air authority structure and oversight functions; 
-- Technical guidance; 
-- Qualified technical personnel; 
-- Licensing and certification; 
-- Continued surveillance obligations; 
-- Resolution of safety issues. 
 
NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED BY EACH OF THE WORKSHOPS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. All four workshops identified needs, and requirements, and some 
attempted to develop action plans toward resolutions.  NCCA Director 
Harold Demuren told EconOff that he will ask the USG to assist NCAA 
with continuing committee workshops to be held in both Abuja and 
Lagos in order to operationalize industry cooperation. 
 
¶6. In the safety and security workshop participants agreed on the 
following top seven areas to focus on: 
-- Shortage of skilled manpower across the aviation sector. 
-- Encourage open and voluntary reporting and sharing of safety 
information. 
--Improved implementation of safety management systems. 
-- Search and Rescue. 
-- Improving inaccurate meteorological forecast data. 
-- Improving poor communications, especially from airport to 
airport. 
--Bird strike. 
 
¶7. In the aviation infrastructure workshop participants agreed on 
the following top seven areas to focus on: 
-- Legislation to encourage public private partnerships. 
-- Greater commitment from the GON to follow agreements. 
-- The GON should complete an economic, financial, and social 
airports reappraisal within the framework of a comprehensive master 
plan. 
-- Develop and implement a privatization policy for all airports. 
-- Regular routine maintenance and replacement budgets need to be 
developed and funded. 
-- Maintenance should be part of the terms and conditions of all PPP 
agreements. 
-- Implementing internationally recognized maintenance standards. 
 
¶8. In the manpower /human capacity workshop participants agreed on 
the following top seven areas to focus on: 
-- Federal and State governments must encourage setting up 
 
ABUJA 00002313  002 OF 002 
 
 
comprehensive scholarship schemes. 
-- Introduce apprentice programs in the aviation industry. 
-- Encourage training of women in the sector. 
-- Sensitize the aviation industry on the utilization of the 
Education Trust Fund (ETF). 
-- The Minister of Aviation should lead the development of 
mechanisms and methodology to enable access to the ETF through 
partnership banks, airlines, and other agencies. 
-- Request USG assistance in human capacity development in the 
aviation sector. 
-- More attention and better recruiting for the Nigerian College of 
Aviation Technology in Zaria. 
 
¶9. In the environment-operator challenges workshop participants 
agreed on the following top seven areas to focus on. 
-- Navigational charges for domestic operations. 
-- Excessive wildlife and foreign object damage (FOD) incidents 
placing extra costs on airlines. (NOTE: Foreign object damage or 
foreign object debris is a substance, debris or article alien to the 
vehicle or system which would potentially cause damage. END NOTE) 
-- Airport and sundry taxes should be reduced. 
-- Import duties and value added taxes (VAT) too high. 
-- Low level of consumer protection. 
-- Market preservation/protection for Nigerian airline operator 
certificate holders (AOC) is a necessity. 
-- Unlimited tenure for foreign registered aircraft domiciled in 
Nigeria. 
 
¶10. COMMENT. Despite last minute wavering by the GON, the workshop 
was enthusiastically supported by all participants.  All of the 
relevant stakeholders were involved in the planning and will be 
prominently featured in the "way forward." Next steps have been 
outlined and there is a real opportunity to move the sector forward 
by increasing safety, security and establishing Category 1 status. 
END COMMENT. 
 
¶11. This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. 
 
SANDERS