By Chinelo Obogo
Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has acquired N1.7 billion mobile control towers from France to be deployed to Abuja and Lagos airports. Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who was in Lagos at the weekend to inaugurate the towers, said the purchase would serve during emergencies and improve air safety and security.
The procurement is in compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation Part 14 that requires air traffic management contingency strategies and plans and in compliance with ICAO Annex 11 that requires air traffic management to have a contingency plan. Sirika said this investment is geared towards safety and may not be something passengers would see but readily plays a vital role in getting them from point A to point B safely.
“The cost of these two mobile towers is N1.7 billion, and it is geared towards improving safety of our operations, which we take as key activity here in our ministry. The intent and purpose of what we are doing is to ensure safety and efficiency of our sector without degrading and de-emphasizing issues of security and comfort.
“How very safe you depart point A and land at point B is our primary concern and is of primary importance. So this is an extension to that intent and purpose and so N1.7billion has been spent to procure these mobile towers. We would use it in Lagos and Abuja and if need be, we would take them to locations where they do not have conventional control towers.