Airlines, Agencies, Others Win Safety Awards

Airlines, aviation agencies and individuals have been recognised with safety, security and professionalism awards at the Nigeria Aviation Award (NIGAV), which held recently in Lagos.

Air Peace, Ibom Air, Aero Contractors, Max Air and Arik Air, won awards in various categories while agencies such as Nigerian Meterological Agency, (NIMeT), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIM), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) among others.

Declaring the ceremony open, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who was represented by the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria, (AIB-N) Akin Olateru, commended the organiser for putting together the award ceremony which had over the years motivated organisations and individuals to put great efforts in promoting safety, security and comfort in the industry.

Olateru listed key things that drive success to include professionalism, perseverance, being fair to all concerned and having a good relationship with God.

“If you will agree with me when you work you will appreciate being rewarded. It is not about finances nor being paid salaries but just to say that people appreciate your efforts.”
He commended the courage, tenacity, perseverance and professionalism of Fortune Idu, the organizer of the NIGAV Award, Fortune Idu.

“Every year he keeps improving on what he does. I need us to please learn from this. Everybody should think about how to make things better where they work and how to improve on the processes,” he added.

Olateru stated that, if everyone engages in the processes and thinks about how things could be better and solve problems, the aviation industry would be a better place, adding that this is what this administration has been doing since inception; ensuring problems are solved and things are better.

“We also constantly evaluate processes and procedures to see how we can improve on things,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the NIGAV Coordinator, Fortune Idu, said the award was to inspire industry professionals to strive for excellence.

He stated that the Nigerian Aviation award had stood out as a prime brand for motivation and promotion of industry growth in a safe and sustainable manner.

The Award which is tagged as Nigeria’s most prestigious air transport award and has stood as an industry motivating factor for excellence, has also helped to engender healthy competition for safer air service delivery and promoter of development.