The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has called on the public to relax their nerves over claims that the Nigerian airspace is insecure due to lack of coverage by radar.
The controversy erupted over the weekend over a statement credited to the NCAA warning airline operators to refrain from flying into restricted areas after the office of the National Security Adviser wrote the aviation regulators reporting the illegal activities of the straying aircraft.
The aircraft was, however, not mentioned.
The development sparked discussions in the aviation industry, fuelling insinuation that the aircraft strayed to the sky above the Presidential Villa over lack of radar coverage.
Regarding recent concerns about the efficacy of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria system, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency clarified that upgrades to software and modernisation efforts were underway to meet increasing demands for efficiency in air traffic management.
The airspace space management also refuted claims about inadequate welfare for Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers, asserting that NAMA prioritises competitive and sustainable welfare packages for its staff.
Speaking in a statement on Monday, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, dismissed allegations of faulty or undercover radars.
The regulators noted that it aligned itself with the position of NAMA on the matter.
“NCAA firmly aligns with the statement from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the total radar coverage of Nigeria. In furtherance to this, the NCAA investigated two recent cases of violations of the prohibited flight zones (DNP4) in Abuja and established that both violations comprised controlled flights in controlled airspace, but strayed into restricted airspace as a result of adverse weather.
“NCAA can also confirm that NAMA had complete radar footage of the two violations with full details of the identities of the aircraft and operators involved. This was only made possible due to functional primary and secondary surveillance radars in Abuja. Similar installations are in Lagos, Kano and Port-Harcourt,” it stated.
Najomo added, “As regards the improvement of Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, Nigeria’s radar coverage is being backed up with five additional MSSR stations at Obubbra, Ilorin, Talata Mafara, Maiduguri and Numan to augment the four existing radar centres to achieve total coverage of the country. This is also in line with the Honourable Minister’s five-point agenda on infrastructure and fully supported by the NCAA’s oversight in ensuring installed infrastructure continually delivers the desired output.”
Also commenting on the allegation of poor remuneration of the air traffic controllers, the NCAA spokesman confirmed the agency’s intervention in a faceoff between the ATCOs and NAMA on the need for improved remuneration and working conditions.
He said, “On the issue of the welfare of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOS), the NCAA had, only recently, intervened in a face-off between ATCOs and NAMA on the need for improved remuneration and working conditions for ATCOs. Expectedly, in aligning with the Honourable Minister’s five-point agenda on capacity development, the NCAA is extending this drive to other aviation professionals.”
