Aviation safety: NCAA deploys reporting system
BY CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has deployed to stakeholders, and the general public, the national aviation safety reporting system for both mandatory and voluntary reports.
The deployment was announced in All Operators Letter (AOL) referenced NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/341 dated 25th August 2025, addressed to all aviation stakeholders and the general public. It was personally signed by the Director General of Civil Aviation, Captain Musa Nuhu.
The deployment was at the heels of the NCAA’s establishment of a robust Safety Data Collection and Reporting System (SDCPS), called SMS Pro (www.ncaasms.com), which would bring Nigeria to full compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
According to the media statement signed by the Director General Civil Aviation, DGCA, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Capt. Musa Shuaib Nuhu, the SMS Pro system is a web-based software that is user-friendly and mirrors the SSP & SMS ICAO-recommended framework comprising Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion.
Also, the web-based SMS Pro system allows for full integration of the whole aviation industry such that each service provider has customized handles issued by the Authority, to submit reports into the system.
It will be recalled that Annex 19 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Act 2022, mandated the implementation of the Aviation State Safety Program.
The statement further elucidated thus, “Specifically, Annex 19 SARPs (Standards and Recommended Practices) mandates as follows:
“5.1.1 States shall establish Safety Data Collection and Processing Systems (SDCPS) to capture, store, aggregate, and enable the analysis of safety data and safety information.
“5.1.2 States shall establish a mandatory safety reporting system that includes the reporting of incidents.
” 5.1.3 States shall establish a “voluntary safety reporting system to collect safety data and safety information not captured by mandatory safety reporting systems.”
“5.1.4 Recommendation.— “State authorities responsible for the implementation of the SSP should have access to the SDCPS as referenced in 5.1.1* to support their safety responsibilities, in accordance with the principles in Appendix 3. “
In addition, Section 62(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 states that: “The Authority shall establish a State Safety Program (SSP) in order to achieve an acceptable level of safety in civil aviation”; and Section 46(5) mandates the Authority to “implement mandatory and voluntary non-punitive incident and accident reporting system”.
The directive from the media statement however demands that, In view of the above, it is required that:
All Service Providers Certificated by the NCAA provide details (email and phone numbers) of their respective focal points for submission of mandatory reports to the Authority; such details should be sent to: godwin.balang@ncaa.gov.ng +2348056163255; and ini.udofia@ncaa.gov.nq +2348057698698; These focal points are expected to attend an orientation on the modalities. A Zoom invite will be provided for this orientation very shortly.
As soon as access to the reporting system is granted, all service providers are required to start using the system immediately. Though mandatory reports in a paper may still be accepted, submission of mandatory reports through the system is mandatory as from 1st September 2023.
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Focal persons are mandated to immediately create awareness across their respective organizations and provide documented evidence that an awareness campaign has been done to the Authority not later than 1st October 2023. Such evidence shall be submitted through the safety reporting handle; and as soon as customized handles for submission of mandatory reports are provided, the focal persons are authorized to share the link with other key personnel (Flight crew, Engineers, ATC, Cabin.) within their various organizations to enable them to submit reports that will be automatically classified under the applicable service provider in the reporting system
It is pertinent to note that both the NCAA and the NSIB have access to all submitted reports and are enabled to receive prompt email alerts as soon as any report is submitted into the system, including direct reports by the enabled public. Upon receipt of safety reports, both will do a preliminary risk assessment of each report to decide on which of the two agencies will handle the report.
