The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), says 80 of its Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEP), personnel would undergo training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology  (NCAT), Zaria, as part of measures to boost the manpower capability of the agency.

Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Ahmad Umar Faruk, disclosed this in Abuja at the 9th African Regional Conference, saying  only properly trained personnel can successfully execute timely system maintenance procedures effectively.

Faruk noted that the quality of maintenance and level of competence possessed by any ATSEPs has a direct bearing on the training and certification obtained obtained by such a staff.

“As I speak we have programmed 80 personnel to be trained at  NCAT Zaria this year alone, the first batch of 20 personnel are already in Zaria,” said Faruk.

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“I urge other Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) in Africa to follow the example of Nigeria by providing and facilitating the speedy training and licensing of ATSEPs in their respective countries,”he added.

According to him, untrained ATSEP was a potential risk to the system. Proper training, Faruk said,remained the only option to having competent air traffic safety staff that would mitigate are accidents.

He noted that as the aviation industry grows, there were also changes  in safety threat to airline operations that were different from those experienced in time past. He said there was the need for collaboration among aircraft manufacturers, pilots, engineers, air traffic and safety experts to ensure a high level of safety in the skies and on ground at airports.