Airports in Nigeria are to undertake emergency stimulation twice annually as part of measures to make them adequately prepared for emergency situations, a senior Nigerian official said here Sunday.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Harold Demurem told reporters in Abuja Sunday that the exercise had become necessary due to past performances of airports personnel during an emergency situation.

Past experiences had shown that airport personnel were not able to respond fast to a given situation, citing the example of the Sosoliso air crash in Port Harcourt last year, with the resultant high casualty, he added.

Demurem directed that all airports in Nigeria must conduct the stimulation emergency exercise twice annually, so that they could perfect their skills in search and rescue.

He said it was only through constant practice that the personnel could effectively prepare themselves to emergency situations and achieve the desired internationally acceptable response period.

On the stimulation emergency exercise carried out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, he admitted that there was much to be done "hence the need to carry out emergency drills twice in a year must be part of any airport in the country."

He gave the assurance that the country's aviation industry was prepared for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Audit slated for next month.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2006)