Chinedu Eze
9 November 2009
Lagos — To reinforce the level of safety already achieved in Nigeria's airspace, the Federal Government has provided more than N7 billion to the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to acquire modern facilities to boost air navigation in the nation's skies.
The money is expected to be deployed to execute some of the projects already approved by the Federal Executive Council, which include the total VHF radio coverage of the entire airspace, World Geodetic Survey (WGS-84) project, automation of Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) and the maintenance of the new radar system, the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) with the contractor, Thales AGM of France.
World Geodetic Survey enhances automated landing by the pilot without ground landing systems, while VHF coverage facilitates communications from ground to air and air to ground between pilot and air traffic controller.
Also, AIS provides up-to-date and timely information on situation and activities of the nation's airports and airspace to the aviation industry world-wide.
According to the General Manager, Public Affairs, of the agency, Supo Atobatele, the Managing Director of the Organization, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Auyo, explained that the contract for the total VHF coverage Project, costing N 445 million,had been awarded while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is handling the WGS-84 project at a cost of N360million .
Auyo, lauded the efforts of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and the Aviation Minister, Mr. Babatunde Omotoba, for making the funds available to the agency, thereby restoring public confidence in air travel through massive capital investment in the sector , disclosing that IATA had been paid N54 million as mobilisation to commence work on the WGS-84 project.
He added that IATA surveyors had completed survey of the four major airports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja and would soon begin preparation of the WGS-84 data required to conclude the airspace procedures design for the airports.
He further explained that the automation of the agency's AIS complete with Redundant MF-TDMA VSAT Network for 26 airports and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Search and Rescue Centre Abuja, would also gulp about N2.6 billion ,just as he puts the cost of TRACON maintenance for five years at N4.3 billion.Auyo also stated that the Total VHF Radio coverage of the country'sairspace would be completed within the next six months. "All these projects when they are completed next year will add valueto our air navigation services to the airlines in the sub-region, justas we are striving to sustain high quality service in the industrywith our present navigational aids", Auyo added.
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