By LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA,  has revealed that the agency will soon exploit non-aeronautical revenue sources in its bid to be self-reliant on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.

This is coming  as  the agency is set to reposition itself as one of the leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) in Africa in this 21st Century.

Engineer Udoh revealed this in a press conference to mark the agency’s 10th anniversary and the Managing Director’s one year in office.

He told  newsmen at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos,  that NAMA was poised towards providing a safe, efficient, effective and economic air navigation services to all  airspace users through a well-improved technology and dedicated workforce.

According to him,” Our target is to reposition NAMA as a 21st Century Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP) but before that, we need to evaluate the following: where are we, where do we want to be and how do we get there?”

Engr. Udoh, however, stressed that answering those questions would help the agency to be on track in achieving all that it has set out to achieve in the nearest future, adding that was the roadmap for the agency.

Enumerating the  agency’s achievements, Udoh said; ‘’We have achieved a great success on the TRACON project as all our airspace are well covered, we also have the Total VHF Radio Coverage of Nigeria, WGS-84, Solar Power, Navigational Aids for designated airports.”

The NAMA Managing Director  further pointed out that in three years time, NAMA will be one of the Air Navigation Service Providers that will be leading in providing valuable national services in Africa adding that it also hopes to have a low-incident ANSP.

He further revealed that the agency has been able to achieve N20 billion capital base and he hopes to achieve N30  billion capital base within the next 12 months..Engr. Udoh added that in achieving the agency’s roadmap, it was planning to be self-reliant on IGR.

He said that  as from next year, the agency will stop getting subvention from the Federal Government. He also revealed   that the agency was  planning to diversify to a non-aeronautical revenue source.

He said that at the moment, NAMA has modern equipment to provide air navigation services with a good technology to ensure that the agency gives efficient services to the various airlines flying in the Nigerian airspace.