(Judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja; Justices Binta Nyako, Joyce Abdulmalik, James Omotosho, and other officials of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Aviation Working Group (AWG) and students of the University of Lagos and University of Benin shortly after the event yesterday in Abuja.)
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the judiciary have partnered to deepen the understanding of laws governing contractual dealings in the nation’s aviation sector.
This was made known at the grand finale of the International Cape Town Convention (CTC) Moot Court held at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday evening under the auspices of the CTC Academic Project.
The Director-General of NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, called for more support from the judiciary in efforts to promote the knowledge of the laws, particularly in the aspect of the Cape Town Convention (CTC).
(From left: Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja; Osauyi Agbonwaneten, law student from University of Benin, and Mr Jeffrey Wool, Secretary General, Aviation Working Group and Co-director of the CTC Academic Project in Abuja on Wednesday evening.)
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CTC comprises of the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment 2001 and the Protocol to the Convention on Matters Specific Aircraft Equipment.
The DG, represented by the Director, Operations, Licensing and Training, Captain Donald Spiff, said the CTC “has actually put Nigeria in a better perspective to aircraft lessors and general aviation business in Nigeria.”
Najomo said the purpose of the programme was to familiarise students, academics and judges with the CTC in the context of complex hypothetical fact patterns.
He said it was also to provide students with educational exercises involving these instruments (CTC) in a simulated judicial setting.
He observed that before now, most airline manufacturing or leasing companies did not want to conduct business in Nigeria, adding that with the CTC, assurances had been given.
“Through the efforts of the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, we are now in the good books of these organisations.
“And this is an enlightenment programme to tell the world that we have arrived and we are ready to do business,” he said.
He hailed the performance of the students, who participated in the programme and commended them for their display of brilliance and commitment.
Najomo said the students’ performance showed the country’s capacity in every sector.
The Secretary General of the Aviation Working Group (AWG) and Co-director of the CTC Academic Project, Jeffrey Wool, said he was thrilled by the first Nigerian international CTC moot court.
Wool said the CTC is a very important international treaty, ratified by Nigeria.
He said the moot court “is a way to introduce students and the legal system to this all-important treaty” and further familiarise the court with the provisions of the treaty.
He said the CTC is very important economically to the country, and noted that the Federal High Court recently put in place a practice direction on how to address CTC related cases.
The event, which was organised inside Court 3, featured the simulation of a real court experience, involving two opposing legal teams made up of law students drawn from the University of Benin and the University of Lagos.
The moot court was held under the supervision of a three-member panel of judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, including Justices Binta Nyako (who presided), Joyce Abdulmalik and James Omotosho.
Osauyi Agbonwaneten, the lead counsel in the University of Benin’s team, came first in the area of advocacy, while Michael Adedayo, the lead counsel in the University of Lagos’ team, came second.
Falodun Daniel of the University of Lagos came third, while Bawi Testimony came fourth.
The Nigerian moot court competition saw 18 universities, drawn from all the nation’s six-geopolitical zones, participating in the preliminary round.
The University of Benin and University of Lagos, which competed at the final held on Wednesday, emerged as the two overall best from the preliminary round.
The event was organised by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the NCAA, with support from the AWG.
