* NCAA Director General ,Capt. Muhtar Usman and Participants at the workshop/seminar in a group photograph .
… To Join CORSIA Implementation At Pilot Phase From 2021
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has assured the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and industry stakeholders that it would actively provide dynamic, purposeful and imaginative leadership in tackling the challenges posed by emissions and climate change in the West Africa sub region.
This is just NCAA disclosed that Nigeria has not only developed and submitted its State Action Plan to ICAO but that it has also voluntarily notified ICAO that it would join CORSIA implementation from the outset during the pilot phase from 2021 to be on the same page with aviation countries in other climes on emissions mitigation measures.
The Director General of NCAA, Capt. Usman Muhtar gave the assurance today at the Workshop/Seminar on the Development Of States’ Action Plans on CO2 Emissions Mitigation Measures and Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)for States Accredited to ICAO WACAF and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held at the Renaissance Hotel, Lagos.
He commended ICAO, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their collaboration to organise additional workshop/seminar hosted by NCAA to build the capacity of member States from this region on the Development of States’ Action Plans and CORSIA.
“I wish to use this opportunity to assure ICAO and our industry stakeholders here in Nigeria that NCAA is committed to actively provide dynamic, purposeful and imaginative leadership in addressing the challenges posed by emissions from aviation and climate change in our region and I will also use this occasion to urge all participants to ensure that the opportunity provided by this workshop/seminar is fully optimised so as to achieve all the objectives that have been set forth, ”Muhtar said.
Aviation, the NCAA boss, said plays an essential role in the economic growth and market access for the world economy, adding that the rapid growth of air travel in recent years however contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation.
He added that based on this fact, ICAO decided to provide leadership to undertake efforts to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change.
He listed these efforts to include: the development of State Action Plans by member States, the development of basket of measures to address CO2 emissions from international aviation through aircraft technology, operational improvements, sustainable alternative fuel for aviation and a global scheme known today as the Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
On the essence of the gathering, Muhtar stated that the seminar was designed to provide National Action Plan Focal Points and aviation industry stakeholders with practical input on the calculation of the CO2 emissions baseline and other quantification aspects as well as share information on CORSIA’s design elements and implementation aspects, including the work being undertaken on the development of Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and guidance material for CORSIA implementation.
He added that it will also provide opportunity for States present to share their experiences in the development of action plans and existing readiness to implement CORSIA as well as conduct an assessment of assistance needs.
On his part, Director of Air Transport of AFCAC Mr. Tefera Mekonen TEFERA commended ICAO and ECOWAS for accepting to collaborate with AFCAC to organise this workshop/seminar and particularly, the government and people of Nigeria for accepting to host this event here in Lagos.
According to him, “We are indeed, very grateful and have thus far enjoyed a very warm reception and tremendous hospitality of the good people of Nigeria.”
He recalled that one of the tasks given to AFCAC by the Plenary at the 26th AFCAC Extra-Ordinary Session, which was held in Gaborone, Botswana from 10-11 November, 2016 was to ensure that all AFCAC member States develop and submit to ICAO, their States’ Action Plans on CO2 emissions reduction measures before June, 2018.
The Secretariat, he said was mandated to implement this task through liaison with ICAO and other stakeholders.
He stated that only only 4 four ECOWAS member States had completed and submitted their States’ Action Plans to ICAO and lamented that at the moment 11 States from the ICAO-WACAF region and members of ECOWAS were yet to complete their Action Plans
The AFCAC boss added that based on this,the organisation took a decision to collaborate with ICAO and ECOWAS to organise this additional workshop/seminar to build capacity and assist these member States having challenges in developing their State Action Plans as well as to facilitate the engagement of the “ICAO Buddy Programme” among States.
Tefera stated that due to the clear synergy between State Action Plans and Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), this workshop/seminar was also designed to upgrade the understanding of participants so that they can have a better grasp of the functioning, implications and benefits of their States participating in the pilot and first phases of the scheme.
He solicited the cooperation of the participants to ensure that after this workshop/seminar, they would take necessary measures to complete and submit their respective States’ Action Plans to ICAO before June, 2018.
“To ICAO, ECOWAS and other distinguished partners here present, I wish to say that the positive effects of successful collaborative efforts are numerous. Alone, we can do very little but together, we can do so much more. I believe that over the coming years, we shall see an increasing partnerships and collaboration in other areas of aviation on the African Continent that will positively transform our industry and ensure another century of growth and prosperity,” Tefera said.
He continued, “I want to assure you that AFCAC will continue to partner with all the aviation stakeholders particularly with ICAO and ECOWAS as we have always shared a deep, collective determination to reach our identical objectives.”
