The safety of Nigeria’s skies is hanging in the balance as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) warns that the nation’s total radar coverage system is nearing total collapse.
During a briefing with the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja, NAMA Managing Director, Farouk Ahmed Umar revealed that the aging infrastructure has become so obsolete that finding spare parts is nearly impossible.
According to him, this technological decay poses a direct threat to the agency’s ability to provide surveillance services, potentially leaving the country’s airspace without the monitoring required by international aviation standards.
The current system, known as TRACON, was commissioned over two decades ago and completed its rollout in 2010. While high-tech aviation equipment typically has a ten-year lifespan, Nigeria’s system has been lagging behind global advancements since 2014.
Umar noted that many components are currently operating without any backup, a precarious situation that risks a total loss of air traffic visibility. Without urgent upgrades, the agency may soon find it impossible to meet the safety requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Compounding these technical failures is a deepening financial crisis within the agency. NAMA is currently grappling with inadequate budgets, rising operational costs fueled by a volatile exchange rate, and a federal policy that siphons 30% of its internally generated revenue.
Furthermore, the agency has been unable to raise its flight operation charges since 2008, still collecting a mere ₦11,000 per flight despite the skyrocketing costs of fuel and maintenance. Umar described the current fee structure as unrealistic for maintaining a serviceable and safe aviation environment.
In response to these warnings, the Ministry of Aviation has pledged renewed support for its agencies to ensure the industry remains a viable economic driver. Its Permanent Secretary, Mahmoud Adam Kambari emphasised the need for better collaboration and more frequent management meetings to tackle these systemic hurdles.
While the ministry has promised to prioritize staff welfare and operational safety, the immediate challenge remains modernizing a radar system that is currently the only thing standing between the Nigerian airspace and a complete surveillance blackout.
