Yemisi Izuora
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello has expressed great satisfaction over the high technical capacity of the completed Kano Safe Project at the Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, (MAKIA).
Hajia Bello who was at the airport for the final inspection of the completed Digital Safe Tower ahead of its commissioning also commended the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), for ensuring that the project was delivered promptly in keeping with the agreed timelines, stressing that the effort of the agency in maintaining safety of air navigation in Nigeria would be boosted by the sophisticated standard of the facility.
“This is very encouraging. I am highly impressed that the facility has been delivered within the period agreed with the ministry and I am happy to say that we have achieved what we bargained for within the scheduled time…other project managers should emulate this one. They have delivered a good job and on time too,” the Permanent Secretary said.
Hajia Bello who observed Air Traffic Controllers as they controlled traffic live, using the facility was particularly thrilled that the entire process was purely digital and simple, without the use of paper strips as was the case with the old tower.
The Managing Director of NAMA, Engr Ibrahim Abdulsalam, who led the Permanent Secretary on the inspection tour along with CEOs of FAAN and NIMET informed Hajia Bello that Nigeria is one of the first few countries in Africa to procure and deploy the Digital Safe Tower and that it ranks among the latest technologies in global Air Traffic Management.
The Permanent Secretary also inspected the Safe Tower Equipment Room where digital transmission signals are received and processed for use by the control tower as well as the NIMET Forecast Office within the tower complex where weather observation and forecast is done.
Hajis Bello also took time out to inspect the progress of work at the new Kano Airport Terminal under construction which is financed by the Chinese Exim Bank.
It will be recalled that the Safe Tower Project which was conceived since 2006 was aimed at automating air traffic management services at the four major airports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano. While others have since been commissioned, that of Kano suffered a series of setbacks, leading to the rebuilding of a completely new digital safe tower for Kano airport.