President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu.
Aliu who is a Nigerian is the first African President of the Council and is due to be re-elected this week in Montreal, Canada.
Buhari eulogized Aliu for his hard work and the goodwill he has garnered for Nigeria as ICAO President, describing him as a good ambassador for the country.
President Buhari’s message was conveyed to Aliu by the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika who led the Nigeria’s delegation to his office in Montreal, ICAO headquarters on Tuesday.
“The President recognise your hard work in championing aviation safety and security around the world. Your programmes and objectives that are set out for ICAO is unprecedented, which makes us proud of you. This is also being shown in your re-election. You are a worthy ambassador of the country. We are proud that you can put Nigeria on the world map of aviation. The President has asked me to convey his best wishes to you”, Sirika said.
Responding to the President Buhari’s message, Aliu said he appreciated the support given to him and ICAO by President Buhari.
“Let me take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation on your visit and to transmit through you Honourable Minister to His Excellency Mr. President for all the support that is being given to ICAO and to me personally,” Aliu said.
Expressing his desire to see a Nigerian re-elected into the ICAO Council due to the country’s contribution to aviation globally, Aliu said, “I personally cannot imagine an ICAO Council without the participation of Nigeria because of the role Nigeria is playing in advancing the course of international civil aviation in the Africa region and within ICAO to support other developing countries in the spirit of the “No Country Left Behind” initiative.
“Since my visit to Abuja, a number of initiatives and activities were discussed. And I have taken note of all the efforts you are putting in place to advance these issues to raise the level of aviation development in Nigeria in the region. In particular in the area of capacity building I have read many times your reference with the need of Nigeria to have an aviation university. You have also been talking about the need to enhance the level of training in Zaria (Nigeria College of Aviation Technology). From the information reaching me, it seems as far as Zaria, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology becoming a regional training center of excellence we are on course on that. We will soon have very good news in respect to that with the process of assessment,” Aliu said.
The ICAO Council President also noted that other issues, including safety oversight, aviation security are being addressed, adding that ICAO would help Nigeria develop its aviation infrastructure.
