Air transport provides an essential service in the development of a modern economy. Globalization, communications and markets have expanded around the world thanks to aviation. By spurring tourism and trade as it continues to grow, aviation helps increase consumer benefits and choices, creates jobs and generates numerous socioeconomic spin-offs for States. The increased connectivity that aviation delivers supports State efforts to further reinvest in this sector, creating a healthy cycle of aviation development and economic prosperity in the States and regions that prioritize planning and investment commitments.
It is important that States develop master plans that provide their governments with an outlook of civil aviation within their States. ICAO first developed Civil Aviation Master Planning (CAMP) training to assist States with revitalizing their aviation sectors in the post-pandemic recovery. Today this training provides senior and middle managers of State Civil Aviation Authorities and other aviation stakeholders with the competencies required to develop, implement, and update civil aviation master plans that align with national development plans and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in accordance with the relevant ICAO provisions.
Nigeria is a good example of a State that uses strategic aviation master planning to foster growth aligned with national development objectives. In September 2024, senior experts deployed by ICAO began working with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the development of Nigeria’s CAMP to pave the way for Nigeria’s civil aviation development. ICAO’s Capacity Development and Implementation (CDI) Bureau coordinates this project with the the Western and Central African (WACAF) Office.
Their work, which covers all civil aviation technical areas, from safety oversight to aviation security, will enable Nigeria to align the development of the aviation sector with their State’s development plan. The civil aviation system involves stakeholders and interests from different sectors (regulators, service providers, airport authorities, security agencies, facilitation committees, migration, customs; etc.), so ICAO encourages states to develop and update their CAMPs to more effectively implement aviation-related activities. CAMP is an asset when it comes to mobilizing resources with financial institutions.
Active work on this project started at the end of September with ICAO recruiting two CAMP instructors from the Eastern and Southern African (ESAF) Office and Montreal Headquarters. In the last week of September, these instructors trained more than 25 officers from NCAA on the overall objectives and contents of this plan, describing the key elements that need to be developed and coordinated in the coming months to enable a better master planning for the 2025-2035 period. They also met and discussed the country’s strategy with top executive officers from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the Airline Organisation Nigeria, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the National Association of Pilots and Aircraft Engineering (NAAPE), the Air Traffic Control Association of Nigeria and the Secretary General of Nigeria Airports Master Planning Advocacy Committee.
In the coming months, several subject matter experts in different technical fields of air transport economy, safety oversight, air navigation services, airport and ground aids, aviation security, facilitation, and traveller identification programme will also be deployed. This alignment supports Nigeria’s broader economic objectives, including boosting tourism, facilitating trade, and improving regional connectivity within Africa.
ICAO’s roster of experts play an important role in shaping the future of civil aviation. Not just in Nigeria, but around the world. We recruit global experts who directly contribute to building resilient aviation systems that drive economic growth and sustainable development. If you have specific expertise that would contribute to our roster, we encourage you to learn more about how you can make an impact and join our roster. Together, we can help ensure that aviation continues to connect the world and deliver lasting benefits for States, their people, and the global economy.’
About the author
Matthieu Monteiro currently works as Field Operations Officer in ICAO’s Capacity Development and Implementation (CDI) Bureau. He manages field projects in various aviation technical areas in Western and Central Africa (WACAF) and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions. He previously worked in systems engineering in the private aerospace sector and holds an engineering degree in space and aeronautical telecommunications from ISAE-SUPAERO (France) and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (France).
