Nigeria's Federal Government has directed international airlines operating in the country to henceforth install explosive detection devices on their aircraft in order to prevent possible incidents of terror attack on any aircraft flying in or out of Nigeria. Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren made this known in his presentation Monday in Abuja as Ministers of Transport and Aviation from over 16 countries of the world converged on the Federal Capital Territory, to chart a path for global aviation security at the Regional Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Demuren also disclosed that all airports across the country should be fitted with an anti-ramp security barriers, stressing that these measures would help to curtail or nip in the bud the threats of terrorists in using aviation as targets of their dastardly act. The meeting, which is one of many aviation security meetings held at different cities of the world since January this year was occasioned by the botched attempt by a Nigerian, Farouk AbdulMuttalab to down an American airliner, flight 253 with nearly 300 passengers on December 25, 2009. Speaking at the conference, the American Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, said her country has advised countries that have benefited immensely from the aviation industry to come together and identify security threats inimical to the global aviation industry. Napolitano, who spoke during the conference dinner on Sunday night, noted that sharing of information was the key to combating terrorism among all countries of the world. ”The areas of collaboration include information collection and analysis, information sharing and collaboration in passenger vetting, international security standards and development and development of infrastructure and screening technology," Napolitano said. The US Homeland Secretary stated that terrorism was not her country’s problem alone to fight but that of the whole world, adding that the international threat posed by violent extremism required an international response. Other speakers, including the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze; Secretary General of ICAO, Raymond Benjamin; Director-General of Airport Council International (ACI), Angela Gitttins; Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union (AU), Dr. Elam Ibrahim; Deputy Minister of Transport, Canada, Mark Gregory; Secretary-General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Nick Fadugba, among others, reinforced the need for cooperation among states and sharing of information to stem the threat of terror in air transport. The newly appointed Minister of Aviation, Njeze said the world has become a global village, disclosing that any security threat lapse in one country would affect or spread to the other parts of the globe if not efficiently and effectively nipped in the bud. This, according to her, re-affirms the need to enhance international aviation security standards and measures to proactively respond to new and emerging threats in the aviation industry. “In view of the fact that air transportation system is very critical to the development of our economies, there is need to establish, approve and implement procedures and co-operative action that can strengthen the capacities to access and face civil aviation threats and risks which will assist in fighting the war against terrorism,” she said. Scribe of ICAO, Benjamin stated that along with the development of efficient and counter measures, there was the need to improve the way member states collect, manage and share security related information, describing it as essential component in the fight against terrorism. “This is a very delicate issue. The sharing of sensitive threat information between states or within other legitimate parties must be completely secured. The Aviation Security Point of Contact (POC) Network, which was used successfully by ICAO to communicate information and recommendation to states following the December 25 incident, should be enhanced to perform such a role. I strongly encourage ICAO member states to join the POC network”, Benjamin said. He urged states which have not yet implemented ICAO-compliant machine readable passport (MRPs), as required by April 1, 2010 deadline to do so. Source: Thisdayonline.com