The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said they are now fully equipped with modern working equipments and trained personnel to provide adequate weather information and effective air traffic control in the country.

Conducting newsmen round some newly installed equipments at the Nnamdi Azikwe international airport, Abuja shortly after addressing a joint press conference, the Directors General of NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom and the Managing Director of NAMA, Engineer Nnamdi Udoh said the two agencies have acquired and installed equipment necessary for gathering and disseminating weather information to pilots and effect air traffic control.

Dr Anuforom said the services that NIMET is providing are in conformity with international best standards.

"We operate to the known international standards because Nigeria is a member state of both ICAO and WMO. WMO has 188 member states and Nigeria is one of them. When British airways lands here every morning, the weather information they need for landing and the air traffic services they need for landing are provided by these two agencies," he said.

He said NIMET has acquired and installed an instrument calibration laboratory at Abuja airport which he said is one of the only four in Africa.

He said: "You know that we measure weather using instruments. When a pilot is airborne, we let him know about the wind speed and direction. We pass the information to the air traffic controllers who tell the pilot. We have completed the calibration of our equipments in Lagos, Kano, Port-Harcourt and Abuja airports.

On his part, the NAMA boss, Engineer Udoh said his agency is planning to provide all the major airports in the country with an Instrument Landing System which assists in effective air traffic. He said that his agency has equipment to monitor the arrival, departure and activities of aircraft until they land or takeoff.