Buhari Assents to Advertising Council, Civil Aviation, Six Other Bills

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Civil Aviation Act, the Nigerian Metrological Agency and six other bills recently passed by the National Assembly into law.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (House of Representatives, Hon. Bashir Babale Illah, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday listed the other bills signed by the President as the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria establishment bill and the Nigeria Council for management Development Act.

Others are the National Institute for Credit Administration establishment act, 2022, Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners act 2022, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria act 2022 and Counselling Practitioners Council of Nigeria Act, 2022.

Illah said the ”Civil Aviation Act, which repealed the Civil Aviation Act, No. 6, 2006, provides for an effective legal and institutional framework for the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria in order to promote aviation safety and security, ensure that Nigeria’s obligations under international aviation agreements are implemented, and consolidate the law relating to civil aviation regulation in Nigeria.

”It also provides for an effective legal and institutional framework for the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria in conformity with the standards and recommended practices set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

”The law is expected to establish rules of operation and divisions of responsibility within the Nigerian civil aviation system in order to promote aviation safety and security; ensure that Nigeria’s obligations under international aviation agreements are implemented; and consolidate the laws relating to the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria.

”The Nigerian Metrological Agency (Establishment, etc.) provides for comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the regulation of meteorology in Nigeria, advise the Federal Government on all aspects of meteorology; project, prepare and interpret government policies in the field of meteorology; and issue weather forecasts for the safe operation of air-crafts, ocean-going vessels and oil rigs in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

”The act empowered the agency as the sole authority to approve, license, certify and regulate the establishment of meteorological stations for meteorological observations, the operators and operating personnel at a fee to be prescribed by the Agency and where necessary, make regulation in this regard, save for aeronautical meteorological service.

”The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria is charged with the responsibility, amongst others, of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy and related matters in Nigeria.
”The National Institute of Credit Administration is expected to regulate the credit management practice and set standards and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become professional credit managers in Nigeria by providing range of services and programmes aimed at keeping Nigerian credit managers and their executives up-to-date by developing their professional skills, elevating their status and inculcating ethics in their service of managing credit for their employers, among others.

”Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners is charged with the responsibility for training and registration of persons aspiring to become Social Work Practitioners in Nigeria and determine the standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to become registered as chartered social work practitioners, and raise the standards as circumstances may permit; secure, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.”