Harold Demuren

Details: Category: Public/Civil Servants; Published on Friday, 20 August 2010 20:08; Written by Admin; Hits: 3628

Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren, the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is an Aeronautical Engineer who was born on the 31st May 1945 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State in Western Nigeria.

Harold attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School from January 1958 to December 1964 where he obtained Cambridge Higher School Certificate (HSC) and General Certificate of Education (GCE, Advance Level) in 1964. In 1965, he won a Soviet Union Government scholarship to study Aeronautic Engineering in the former USSR. He obtained Diploma in Russian Language at the Moscow State University, Moscow, USSR (1965 – 1966).

He proceeded to Kiev Institute of Aviation Engineers, Kiev in former Soviet Union where he obtained Masters of Science in Aeronautical Engineering (M.Sc.) in 1972 and then to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. for his Doctor of Science D.Sc. in Aircraft Gas Turbine & Jet Propulsion Engines (1975).

His research work was on the Aerodynamics Design, Manufacturing and Testing of High Temperature, High Pressure Ratio Transonic Turbine Blades for advance gas turbines and jet aircraft engines for the United States Air Force and Navy at the M.I.T. Gas Turbine and Jet Aircraft Propulsion Laboratory (1972-1974) and also a Joint experimental investigation with the Turbo-machinery Group of Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics at Rhode Saint Genesse, Belgium, a NATO Research Institute (1974 – 1975).

He was recruited from the United States of America to join the Federal Ministry of Aviation in 1976 as Senior Airworthiness Surveyor and rose to become Assistant Director, Airworthiness in June 1989. On the creation of the defunct Federal Civil Aviation Authority, he was appointed Deputy Director Air Transport, Economic Regulations and Licensing. He rose to become the Director Safety Services in 1991. The post he held until he was retired in August 1995.

After retirement, he worked as Aviation Consultant and later formed Afrijet Airlines, one of the leading cargo airline in the country. He was the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Afrijet Airlines until he was appointed in late December 2005 as Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

He is the President, Flight Safety Foundation-West Africa, currently serves in the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of Flight Safety Foundation, the first and only African member in the Board of Governors of the Flight Safety Foundation, the foremost international aviation organization with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A.

In his career in Aviation, he has worked in the following areas:

Strived for the rapid passage of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Autonomy Bill into Law.
Introduced a new Civil Aviation Safety Regulations that ensures Safety Oversight of all aviation activities in Nigeria in compliance ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
Laid the foundation of the National Civil Aviation Policy for Nigeria
Enthroned professionalism, accountability, honesty, .integrity and discipline in the conduct of aviation business in Nigeria.
Re-established confidence in the Nigerian traveling public and international community.
Ensure the implementation of broad aviation security policies and programmes to counter threats in compliance with ICAO SARPs.
Forefront of improving aviation safety record in Africa
Played a leading role in the successful completion of the Aviation Security Audit of Murtala Mohammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport by the United States of American Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Spearheading the replacement of old-age aircraft through the implementation Cape Town Convention.
Lead the campaign remove dangerous and illegal aircraft operation in the continent of Africa-aircraft with questionable safety certificates, dubious crew license and fake insurance operating under flag of convenience.
Leading role in Global Aviation Safety Roadmap for Africa
Encouraging African Airlines to meet IOSA standards and making it mandatory for Nigerian Airlines on international routes.
Liberalization of African Air Transport System and turning West African Sub-region to a Domestic operation through the implementation of Yamoussoukro Decision.
Initiated an aggressive recruitment and accelerated training programme to combat acute aviation manpower shortage
Provided the necessary leadership for Nigeria to successfully complete the ICAO Universal Safety Audit of 2006.
Provided the necessary leadership for Nigeria to successfully complete the ICAO Universal Security Audit of 2008.

Today, he is leading Nigerian Aviation Industry to attain American Federal Aviation Administration International Aviation Safety Assessments (FAA IASA) Category One Certification which would allow direct flight from Nigeria to Continental United States of America (USA).