Licence Archives - Naija Premium Gist

Nigeria gets licence for national air carrier, delays start of operations

June 7, 2022 No Comments

The certification is coming four years after the carrier was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in England.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Monday announced that the Nigeria Air Limited has received an Air Transport License (ATL) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Nigeria Air is the nation’s proposed national carrier which was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in England on July 18, 2018.

The project was suspended two months after it was announced after critics raised concerns over its relevance and sustainability. The proposed airline was expected to gulp $8.8 million preliminary cost and $300 million as takeoff cost.

Nigeria’s defunct carrier, Nigeria Airways, collapsed due to corruption and poor management.

But the Nigerian government dismissed all concerns raised, saying the airline would begin operation before the end of 2018, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to establish a national airline during his 2015 electioneering campaign.

Six months ago, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved April 2022 as the commencement date for the operations of the country’s national carrier, Nigeria Air.

“Nigeria Air Limited received from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) an Air Transport License (ATL), signaling the end of the beginning of operations of the Airline. Commencement date of domestic operations will be announced in due course,” Mr Sirika tweeted on Monday.

Mr Sirika also revealed then that 49 per cent of the Nigeria Air project will be owned by equity partners and 46 per cent by Nigerians while the Federal Government will own five per cent of the shares.

The presentation of the ATL to the Interim Board of Nigeria Air took place at the Corporate Headquarters of the NCAA, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.

The ATL certificate signed by the director general of the NCAA, Musa Nuhu, will run for a period of five years (June 3rd, 2022 to June 2nd, 2027).

It is one of the certifications that must be acquired by airlines before they can commence operation while they await the all-important Air Operator Certificate (AOC) that will fully guarantee ‘Nigeria air’ the right to begin air services.

The new national airline is expected to provide scheduled and non-scheduled services.

World News

Senegal suspends licence of two private TV stations for criticising govt

March 5, 2021 No Comments

The government of Senegal has suspended the licences two private TV stations after it accused authorities of focusing too much on protests triggered by the arrest of an opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko.

Local media reported on Thursday that the two stations affected by the decision of the National Audiovisual Regulatory Council (CNRA) are Sen TV and Walf TV channels.

“The stations were accused of broadcasting “in loop” images of the unrest after Mr Sonko’s arrest,” an opposition member who declined to be named said in the capital of Dakar.

Mr Sako has been accused of has been accused of raping a woman at a salon where he went to get massages but the opposition leader maintains that the case is politically motivated and an attempt by President Macky Sall’s allies to ensure he can’t run in the next election.

In a related development, police clashed with supporters of Mr Sonko in Bignona town in the southern Casamance region on Thursday with the government confirming that one person was killed in the violence, which followed the arrest of the opposition leader in Dakar a day earlier.

Lifestyle

Nigeria: Lagos Gas Explosion – Plant Has No Operational Licence – DPR

October 12, 2020 No Comments

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Sunday said reports from its preliminary investigations had revealed that the Best Roof Gas Plant Station, Baruwa, Lagos where last Thursday’s gas explosion occurred had no operational licence.

The Director of DPR, Mr Sarki Auwalu, made the disclosure in a statement while commiserating with the victims of the incident.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five persons lost their lives in the explosion while eight persons were rescued alive with various degrees of injuries.

A total of 44 buildings were also destroyed in the inferno which started at about 5:40 a.m. when a a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker was in the process of discharging at the plant located within the densely populated area.

Auwalu said preliminary reports from DPR investigations revealed that the facility was operating without licence and was carrying out illegal operations which resulted in the unfortunate incident.

He promised that DPR would continue to update the public on the progress of its ongoing investigation into the incident.

According to him, the department will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure safe operations of all oil and gas facilities in Nigeria.

To this end, Auwalu said DPR had released guidelines for the establishment and operations of the of downstream gas facilities in the country.

He said it deals with the establishment and operations of LPG refilling plants and retail outlets, auto gas refuelling stations and add-on gas facility and establishment of gas storage and utilisation.

Auwalu stated that the guidelines stipulates the minimum requirements, procedures and conditions to be fulfilled before granting of approvals or licences for the construction, installation, modification, takeover, relocation and operations of downstream gas facilities.

He said that the guidelines were developed to enhance gas penetration and utilisation, enhance operational safety as well as ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector.

Auwalu said that companies intending to establish these facilities must satisfy all necessary requirements stipulated by DPR and obtain the applicable approvals.

According to him, the approvals include Site Suitability Approval, Approval to Construct (ATC), Approval to Install and Licence to Operate.

He said the facilities must also be provided with necessary amenities and equipment like functional automated/manual leak tester, functional fire alarm system, and mounted gas detectors.

The DPR helmsman said they must also have adequate fire water storage and sprinklers, perimeter fence with fire wall amongst others.

He said the objective of the guidelines was to ensure that the baseline standard regarding Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) was achieved and maintained in all the facilities.