17th October, 2022
By Yunus Yusuf
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has increased the number of satellite ground base stations from eight to fourteen to accommodate the new airports.
Mr Matthiew Pwajok, the Acting Managing Director of NAMA, disclosed this on Sunday.
He noted that in the past, there were only eight satellite stations serving airports across the country.
Pwajok explained that the base stations were built due to the airports that were coming up in Bayelsa, Anambra, Ekiti, Osun, Abeokuta and elsewhere.
“We have to increase the number of satellite base stations from eight to 14, with some of them strategically installed in Benin, Enugu, Calabar, Jos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kano, and Abuja.”
“This is to enhance communication between pilots and air traffic controllers in the upper air space,” he said.
According to him, new ground stations would improve pilot-controller voice communication in the upper area, which previously had minimal issues.
He stated that the agency had upgraded all landing systems at more than ten airports, replacing them with brand new doppler Very High-Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR) navigational equipment.
Pwajok stated that the agency had extensively invested in ground navigation by installing Doppler VOR in at least ten airports, including Maiduguri, Enugu, Minna, Jos, Sokoto, Kano, and Benin.
Also, that Category Three Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) were being installed in Kano, Katsina, and Port Harcourt. Satellite navigation technology was also deployed to supplement the ground navigation systems.
However, Pwajok noted that a lot of money was spent on new airspace equipment because some of the facilities had become obsolete and that it had replaced all of the obsolete ILS with at least Cat2 ILS.
He stated that it had erected the Cat2 ILS in over ten airports, including one on the domestic runway in Lagos, two in Benin, one in Enugu, Sokoko, Maiduguri, Abuja, and one in Lagos.
“We have also installed Cat2 in Yola, Sokoto, Jos, Akure, Minna and Ilorin, in addition to the ones I cannot remember to mention,” he said.
Pwajok said the agency under his watch was installing an additional three Cat3 ILS in Katsina, Kano and Port Harcourt, which was in addition to the Cat3 that had already been installed in the Lagos and Abuja airports.
In addition to ensuring safe skies, efficient communication and economic flight, Pwajok said the agency under his watch has placed a premium on staff welfare through training, certifications and remuneration.
He said pensioners who had not been paid since 2018 had now received what was rightfully theirs.
He said the payment of backlog pensions was done to ensure that these people were at peace and happy with their families.
NAN