Kenneth Ehigiator
9 November 2009
Lagos — The Federal Government has injected over N7 billion for the provision of facilities for effective delivery of air navigation services by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), as part of measures to make the nation's airspace safer.
Among projects already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are the Total VHF Radio coverage of the entire airspace, World Geodetic Survey (WGS-84), automation of AeronauticalInformation Services (AIS)and maintenance of the new radar system with the foreign firm.
NAMA's Managing Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Auyo, who disclosed this in Lagos, weekend, said contract for the Total VHF coverage project has been awarded for N445 million.
He said the International Air Transport Association ( IATA) was also handling the WGS-84 project for N360million.
He said IATA had been paid N54 million as mobilisation fee to commence work on the WGS-84 project.
According to him, IATA surveyors have completed survey of the four major airports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja and are about preparing the WGS-84 data required to conclude the airspace procedures design for the airports.
Auyo explained that the automation of NAMA's AIS complete with redundant MF-TDMA VSAT Network for 26 airports and NEMA Search and Rescue Centre, Abuja, would also gulp N2.6 billion.
He put the cost of maintenance of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) for five years at N4.3 billion.
The NAMA boss hinted that the Total VHF Radio coverage of the country airspace would be completed within six months.
"All these projects, when completed, next year, will add value to our air navigation services to the airlines in the sub-region, just as we are striving to sustain high quality service in the industry with our present navaids," he said.
Spokesman of the agency, Mr. Supo Atobatele, told Vanguard, weekend that the December 31, completion of the TRACON project was sacrosanct.
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