The United States (U.S.) pledged on Monday to assist Nigeria achieve the required standards in aviation safety and infrastructure.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Renee Sanders, made the promise in Abuja at a workshop jointly organised by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Boeing Company.
The workshop is part of the campaign by the Nigerian aviation authorities to gain American Category One Certification that will enable its airlines to ply the lucrative North American route.
She said her country would provide technical support to Nigeria in the area of capacity building, infrastructure, safety and security and the environment.
Sanders noted that several US agencies such as the FAA, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the Customs Service, Department of Defence and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been deployed to help Nigeria in the quest to meet the Certification One Standard as stipulated in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Minister of Transportation, Diezani Alison-Madueke, restated Nigeria’s commitment to meet the requirement of the American Category One certification, which allows airlines registered in the country to operate in the lucrative North American market.
She said the Federal Government has successfully executed several aviation projects, some of which included new runways at the Lagos and Port Harcourt international airports and the building of a new domestic terminal at the Lagos Airport through Public-Private-Partnership initiative.