19th November, 2013
Simon Ateba/Aviation correspondent
Nigeria has become the first African country to produce the president of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council.
Dr. Olumuyiwa Babatunde Aliu was elected ICAO Council president on Monday.
He is the first blackman to head ICAO, the umbrella world body for aviation safety.
Aliu was elected at the 38th Assembly of the organisation in Montreal, Canada, by an assembly consisting of 172 countries.
The 36 members of the ICAO Council constituted the electoral college for the election of the president of the council.
Dr. Harold Demuren, former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, is often credited for lifting Nigeria’s safety profile in the world.
Demuren secured the coveted US category 1 safety certification.
But since his sack and another plane crash this year as well as tales of corruption and impunity in the aviation sector, critics have said Nigeria has been losing respect in the world.
Nigeria’s embattled aviation minister, Stella Oduah, claimed credit for Aliu’s election, saying that she had gone to drum support for him.
Nigeria joined ICAO in 1960 and was elected into the Council of ICAO in 1962 as a Part II member State and the country has since remained on the Council and has continued to promote the interest of Nigeria and Africa on the Council as well as contribute to the sustainable development and growth of civil aviation in the region.