Jonathan Inaugurated Radar Coverage – NAMA Boss

Contrary to speculations, the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), was completed before President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated it earlier in the year and did a test-run of the facility with pilots and air traffic controllers to ascertain its efficacy.

Chairman of the board of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Alhaji Abubakar Baraje who gave the explanation while briefing newsmen on the activities of the agency said the rumours that the project was not completed before inauguration were unfounded and misplaced.

Baraje noted that the project is in phases as NAMA could not have deceived either the President or Nigerians on the efficacy of the project, saying that the agency would partner with the military to integrate the TRACON technology with the right input bordering on safety and security.

The NAMA boss disclosed that the agency is partnering with the World Bank and other international organizations for the training and re-training of key professionals to enhance capacity and efficiency in the management of the nation’s airspace.

He affirmed that the agency has resolved to employ more hands to fill the gaps in manpower, pointing out that NAMA would not ground domestic operators on account of their over N2 billion indebtedness, but will not hesitate to ground foreign airlines that are not ready to comply with the pay-as-you-go regime rolled out by the agency.

Baraje explained that TRACON could capture the movement of aircraft as far as Cargo Brazzaville, Niger, Cameroon, Sudan and other neighbouring countries in central and West Africa, even as other African countries are poised to replicate the TRACON technology in their airspace.

The NAMA chief executive identified the challenges of funding as part of the problems facing the agency, stressing that with proper funding in place, the agency could acquire state-of-the-art facilities to boost its operations, adding that the agency would veer into real estate as part of measures to enhance its revenue profile.

Baraje emphasised that it was necessary to clear the controversies that trailed the TRACON project and the performance of the Total Radar coverage saying: “we are quite aware of some controversies being generated unnecessarily over the performances of the TRACON project, where it was alleged that it was not TRACON that was inaugurated and that the complete equipment which the President inaugurated was not the total radar coverage”.