Why no Nigerian airport has passed ICAO audit test, risen to top 10 in Africa
Even as the government has apparently concluded plans to concession top four thriving Nigerian airports including Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, one of the reasons that will frustrate the interest of credible foreign investors remains the inability of any of the International Airports or other remaining 18 airports in the country to scale through the rigorous International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit.
Industry observers decry that the country has failed to close the open items for the ICAO certification of the airports, which include airside safety and installation of landing aids like airfield lighting that enables flight land and take off at night or at low visibility, proper markings of the runways and the ramp and efficient security apparatuses at the airports.
The lack of ICAO certification and other inadequacies hobbling the Nigerian airports plus other factors recently failed the country in joining among the top 10 International Airports in a survey carried out by a research and marketing firm, known as Sleeping in Airports.
Key indices considered during the survey which saw all Nigerian airports napping include Comfort (rest zones & gate Seating); services, facilities and things to do; food options; passenger facilitation; immigration, police, security and general customer service; as well as cleanliness.
Below is a list of the Top 10 Best Airports in Africa as voted by travellers in the 2016 study vide random questioning of most travelled Africans including Nigerians within the survey period.
- Cape Town International Airport, South Africa
- Kigali International Airport, Rwanda.
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (Port Louis) International Airport, Mauritius.
- Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport, South Africa.
- Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport, Algeria.
- Durban King Shaka International Airport, South Africa.
- Rabat-Sale International Airport, Morocco.
- Oujda Angads International Airport, Morocco.
- Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya.
- Cairo International Airport, Egypt.
