DECEMBER 1, 2016            

A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AVIATION ROUND TABLE SAFETY INITIATIVE Q4/2016 BREAKFAST MEETING HELD AT GOLFVIEW HOTEL & SUITES, GRA, IKEJA, LAGOS ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016

 

TOPIC

AVIATION SECURITY IN THE MIDST OF HOME GROWN TERRORISM

 

PARTICIPATION

Over 100 professionals drawn from across Nigeria’s aviation sector participated in this meeting including Mr. Gary Pleus, TSA Attaché, U.S. Embassy, West Africa.

RESOLUTIONS

At the end of the meeting, participants resolved that:

  1. The government of Nigeria needs to give more attention to aviation security ti enable tourism development, which has aviation as a catalyst and has a revenue spinning nature even above agriculture.
  2. Since aviation remains the primary target of terrorists and non-metallic improvised Explosives Devices is the primary weapon of choice, government must develop counter measures urgently to detect and prevent air attacks.
  3. Cyber security threat to aviation is not a question of if it exists, but a question of when it will occur and therefore, deserves urgent attention by aviation authorities.
  4. There is urgent need for development of
  5. A National Cyber Security Plan
  6. An Aviation Cyber Security Monitoring Team
  7. Aggressive Education and Enlightenment on Cyber Security Threats
  8. There is need to protect airspace ICT project such as AIS Automation from cyber security attacks.
  9. There must be proper background checks before recruitment of aviation security personnel across Nigeria, prompt payment of salaries and good staff welfare packages to avoid insider threats to AVSEC.
  10. There should be proper regulation of drones operations which can be used for cyber-attacks.
  11. Nigeria’s Aviation Security Programme must be amended to comply with the provisions of ICAO Annex 17 as FAAN cannot coordinate the entire security network and agencies at the nation’s airports since it was not originally established by law as a security organization.
  12. There must be regular information sharing among aviation stakeholders while all reviews of AVSEC programmes and policies should involve all stakeholders.
  13. There is need for a new legislation on Aviation Security enhancement in the country while AVSEC should form part of the National Security Plan.
  14. The unnecessary proliferation of airports across the country has to be checked as it constitutes part of AVSEC threats, offering attack opportunities to modern terrorists.
  15. There is need for proper and improved training of AVSEC personnel on cyber security and other emerging security threats.

Dr. Gabriel O. Olowo Fnim, Fitp

President