Contrary to the ongoing notion that Nigeria’s airspace lacked the required radar coverage, the federal government’s statutory agency saddled with the responsibility of making the airspace safe and secured for air transport, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has affirmed that the airspace is not only safe but adequately covered by critical safety components like radar.
The managing director of NAMA, Engineer Ahmed Umar Farouk made the clarification in response to an interview granted by a journalist alleging that the country’s airspace is not covered by radar.
The major function of a radar is to ease air navigation and the surveillance of any airspace like the Nigerian airspace, and also enable real-time search and rescue operations within the country’s airspace.
Describing the interview granted by the said journalist as spurious and misleading, the NAMA MD insisted that the journalist in question does not understand the workings of the surveillance systems, hence “his misconstrued and misguided information on Primary and Secondary Radar.”
The MD in a statement issued and sighted by Safealtitude.com declared: “The agency hereby wishes to state that the claim that the Nigerian airspace is not covered by Radar is false and misleading. The radar stations in Nigeria (Kano, Lagos, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt) are serviceable. Radar services for Terminal and Enroute flights are positively identified and provide air navigation services to airspace users. “Yes, it is true that the TRACON system, like any other electronics systems, is undergoing an upgrade of software and modernisation to meet the ever growing demand for efficient, effective and seamless air traffic management services.
Furthermore, the welfare of Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers in terms of salaries and allowances is not in contention, as to suggest that it is the lowest in the world. NAMA, as a reputable agency, prides herself at ensuring sustainable welfare packages for her staff, especially the Air Traffic Controllers.”
Speaking on the recently reported case of an aircraft belonging to a local airline that flew into a restricted part of the airspace, the NAMA Chief remarked: “The reported “unidentified” aircraft is a security terminology. In real terms, the aircraft in question is known, but only to the ATC. The violation was in the interest of safety, as a result of adverse weather (serious thunderstorm) on the said date. The purported circular issued by the NCAA is for airlines to be guided from straying into the marked and published prohibited or restricted areas of the Nigerian airspace.
“It is obvious that the journalist in question does not understand the workings of the surveillance systems, hence his misconstrued and misguided information on Primary and Secondary Radar. The agency shall willfully volunteer information on her services to anyone who requires them at any time.”
The agency however, expressed commitments to her responsibility of providing safe, effective, economic, and efficient air navigation services in Nigeria.
“The existence of robust, effective civil / military coordination and collaboration guarantees a secured airspace and air navigation. We are pleased to say that the Nigerian airspace is safe and secured.”
Nigeria’s Airspace Is Safe, Secured-NAMA MD
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