FOR safe, orderly, and efficient movement of aircraft, the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) has urged the Federal Government to strengthen the national air navigation system.
Engr. Selzing D. Miri, President of NAAE, and Engr. Muhammadu S. Shuaibi, General Secretary, highlighted that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) faces challenges due to inadequate infrastructure investment, insufficient reinvestment of revenue, delayed project funding, rising operational demands, manpower shortages, and the increasing costs of maintaining CNS/ATM systems aligned with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
The body emphasized that the Federal Government should focus on reforms enhancing NAMA’s institutional capacity and operational efficiency, rather than pursuing privatization.
NAAE urged the Federal Government to provide NAMA with enhanced financial and operational autonomy for quicker decision-making on safety-critical projects. They called for an end to excessive deductions from the Agency’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to allow reinvestment in modernizing air navigation infrastructure, increasing capital investment for replacing outdated communication, navigation and surveillance equipment, deploying emerging technologies, enhancing cybersecurity, implementing resilient backup systems, and advancing digital transformation in Nigeria’s airspace management.
What is more, continuous training, certification, licensing, and retraining of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEPs), Air Traffic Controllers, Aeronautical Information Service Officers, and other aviation professionals should be prioritized as their competence is crucial for aviation safety.
NAAE equally called for improved staff welfare, professional allowances, and career progression to address the migration of skilled aviation professionals abroad. They advocated for recruiting additional technical personnel and ensuring sustainable funding for safety-critical systems.
The association emphasized that successful Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) have financial stability and operational independence, prioritizing safety over profit.
NAAE urged the government to empower NAMA, expressing concerns that privatization could undermine investment planning and service delivery. They propose granting NAMA operational autonomy, enhancing corporate governance, and modernizing infrastructure to establish it as a leading ANSP in Africa.
NAAE insists that Nigeria’s airspace should remain under national control, adequately funded and compliant with international standards, and that reforms must strengthen NAMA’s capacity to ensure safe air navigation services.