By Dickson Omobola

Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has refuted claims that the country’s airspace was unsafe in terms of communication, navigation and surveillance.

Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NAMA, Dr. Abdullahi Musa, in a statement, said while the Eurocat C radar system currently in use was out of date, having been in operation for a considerable period, the federal government was already in the process of procuring a modern replacement.

Eurocat C radar system is a comprehensive, automated surveillance tracker and server designed to process radar, flight plan and meteorological data to assist air traffic controllers in managing airspace safely.

Musa’s statement came as the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, NATCA, weekend, said it could no longer guarantee the safety of the country’s airspace due to obsolete equipment and poor working conditions.

President of NATCA, Edino Ilemona Amos, and General Secretary of NATCA, Umar Fahad, in a statement, said a major concern was the state of obsolete Communications, Navigation and Surveillance, CNS, infrastructure.

They said the facilities were outdated and failed to meet acceptable reliability standards, making them work around system weaknesses that should not exist in a modern aviation environment.

Meanwhile, Musa, who reacted, said: “In the interim, NAMA has commenced the deployment of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, ADS-B, system as a reliable backup to the existing radar. This measure ensures continuous, real-time surveillance and guarantees the safe, orderly and efficient flow of air traffic across Nigerian airspace.

“In further demonstration of its commitment to safety, NAMA has continued to invest significantly in human capacity development.

‘’In the past year alone, over 140 Air Traffic Controllers have undergone specialised training programmes in reputable institutions abroad, equipping them with contemporary skills in air traffic management and safety procedures.”

“Additionally, about 40 air traffic control cadets have been successfully trained and graduated from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria, and the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Air Traffic Service, ATS, Training Centre, Kaduna.

‘’A further 30 cadets are currently undergoing training at these same institutions to strengthen manpower capacity and address staffing needs.

“The agency is also not unmindful of the welfare concerns raised by its personnel. Issues relating to career progression, particularly among officers on Grade Level 16, as well as matters concerning post-license allowances, staff claims, stress and fatigue, are receiving the active attention of management in collaboration with the supervising ministry.”