Business

Kano Airport Tower: NAMA Conducts Successful Site Acceptance Test

Published

10 years ago

July 29, 2015

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) says it has successfully conducted a Site Acceptance Test (SAT) of the installed equipment at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
NAMA’s Managing Director, Mr Ibrahim Abdulsalam, announced this in a statement issued yesterday to newsmen in Lagos, yesterday.
Abdulsalam said the successful conduct of the test was the last leg of activities that would culminate in the eventual launch of the Kano Safe Tower project.
He said the project was one of the bold steps taken by NAMA to continue to deploy new technologies in air traffic management for the Nigerian airspace.
Reports say that the Safe Tower Project is aimed at automating air traffic management services at the four major airports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano.
While others have since been inaugurated, that of Kano suffered a series of setbacks, leading to the rebuilding of a completely new safe tower for Kano airport.
Abdulsalam said that the SAT, which was conducted using a Test Procedure Book, was intended to ascertain conformity with all specified functions of the equipment within environmental tolerance.
He also used the occasion to declare open a four-day Awareness Training on the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract/Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (ADS-C/CPDLC) project also to be inaugurated soon.
The NAMA boss described the two projects as strategic in the agency’s effort to transform air traffic management services in the country.
Abdulsalam listed the benefit of the safe tower project, when operational, to include use of electronic or paperless flight progress strips by air traffic controllers.
“It also includes effective and efficient flight planning; reduction in ATC workload and availability of a Radar Monitoring System for enhanced Air traffic situation awareness.
“Others are the automated data storage for effective billing; availability of meteorological information online and real time, vertical wind shear alerting system, among others,” he said.
According to him, the ADS-C/CPDLC will ensure effective ATM delivery within the Nigerian airspace and reduced Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) and Pilot workload.
He added that it would enhance safety through accuracy and efficiency in communication between ATC and flight crew.
“Also included are reduction in flight delays, flight times, fuel burnt and C02 emissions; provision of cost effective surveillance and data communication.
“Another is the elimination of air—ground communication blind spots within the airspace and the provision of effective coverage over the oceanic airspace,” Abdulsalam said.
Also speaking, the Project Contractor, Mr George Eder, expressed confidence that the Nigerian airspace would experience the needed transformation in its flight operations.
Eder said this was due, with the quality of equipment deployed by his company which he described as “world class”.

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive with the development of the welfare of its personnel.

Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the clearing of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying, “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.

The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.

“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”

Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.

“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.

Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).

The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.

Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.

The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.

The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.

The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.

He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.

Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.

The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.

“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.

Chinedu Wosu