Yemisi Izuora
The Aeronautical Division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has said that the Country’s navigational infrastructure is capable of guaranteeing safety of air travel in the country.
This declaration came at the end of an airport tour of facilities at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, the Chairman, Aeronautical Division, NSE, Engr. Patrick Achurufe said their findings have boosted the confidence of members on the safety of the Nigerian airspace, adding that their on-the-spot assessment of the nation’s navigational tools and how these facilities were being deployed by the personnel in operations revealed that “a lot has been done by NAMA both in terms of acquisition of critical infrastructure and training of appropriate personnel.”
He commended staff of the agency for their diligence and hard work, saying that members were amazed at the dexterity and efficiency with which critical personnel discharged their duties both in communicating with pilots, vectoring aircraft and surveillance of the airspace in general.
While extolling the federal government on the “massive investment” in the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) project, Achurufe however called for a sustained upgrade of the facility. “Given that aviation is dynamic, most components of these facilities need to be upgraded from time to time in line with world best practices and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) specification,” he said.
In his remarks, the vice chairman of the group, Engr. Godwin Balang advocated for uninterrupted power supply from the national grid to ensure that the facilities operate at optimum capacity, even as he urged the federal government to ensure adequate supply of spares for effective maintenance of the systems.
With membership drawn from all engineers working in the aviation sector, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Aeronautical Division was established to promote the growth of the profession and to ensure standards and best practices are maintained in the aviation sector.