The Federal Government has given the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) additional responsibilities to effectively manage the nation’s airspace as it has directed the agency to oversee airfield lighting at all airports, be in charge of bird hazard control as well as takeover the calibration unit otherwise known as Navigational Aids Flight Inspection and Surveillance (NAFIS) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
This directive which was given to the affected agencies by the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, takes immediate effect.
Airfield Lighting Systems and bird hazard control have until now been the responsibility of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), while the calibration (test flights) of navigational equipment was conducted by the NCAA.
The new directive might not be unconnected with the inability of FAAN to provide airfield lighting systems at major airports across the country, including the Lagos Airport.
The exercise, according to the minister, “is in line with the Federal Government’s transformation agenda for the industry’’.
The Managing Director of NAMA, Engineer Mazi Nnamdi Udoh addressing the management staff of the agency in Lagos on Thursday over the new development, remarked that the workforce, especially the technical staff would have to brace up for the emerging challenges.
The NAMA boss, describing the additional job as enormous, reminded the staff of the need to realign for corporate goal of providing high quality air traffic services.
“With these huge responsibilities given to NAMA, we need to settle down and work assiduously to justify the new status bestowed on the agency by the federal government’’, the managing director stressed.
NAMA, by the Act No.48 of 1999 has the mandate to provide Air Navigation Services in the country and commenced operation in January, 2000.