LAGOS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria will not lose its bid to become an aviation hub on the African continent, a top official with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said.

    Harold Demuren, Director-General of NCAA, gave the assurance in Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos, at the weekend as the number of airlines operating in the country swelled with the unveiling of a new airline, Dana Air, the News Agency of Nigeria reported Sunday.

    Ghana is positioning its Kotoka International Airport, Accra, to become a regional hub, as Nigeria is also developing Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) to be ahead.

    Demuren said Accra did not have the passenger traffic, aircraft movement or number of airlines that could make it get the hub status at Nigeria's expense.

    He added that to enhance safety, the NCAA had also developed stiffer requirements for airlines coming into the industry, three of which were nearing completion of their documentation.

    He said Nigeria's aviation industry was growing with modern infrastructure and aircraft coming in.