NAMA begins nationwide audit of Nigerian airspace

By Dickson Omobola

Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has commenced a comprehensive audit of the entire Kano Flight Information Region, FIR, also known as the Nigerian airspace.

The exercise, which commenced on Tuesday, is a systematic self-assessment audit by the agency targeted at examining the overall safety performance, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance of the Nigerian airspace as well as strengthening NAMA’s readiness for the impending Air Navigation Service Provider, ANSP, Certification by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA, and the forthcoming ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, USOAP, Coordinated Validation Mission, ICVM, and Regional Office Safety Team, ROST, Mission.

Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protections at NAMA, Abdullahi Musa, in a statement, said the FIR audit would evaluate the state of Air Traffic Services, ATS, Communication, Navigation and Surveillance, CNS, facilities, Aeronautical Information Management, AIM, Planning, Research and Statistics, PRS, and Search and Rescue, SAR, operations.

Musa noted that the audit would identify gaps, risks and opportunities for improvement in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPs, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, NCARs.

The statement reads: “The audit will cover detailed inspections of Nigeria’s four major international airports — Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt — along with Enugu, Maiduguri, and several state and private aerodromes, including CNS facilities across the nation.

“The Managing Director, Engr Umar Farouk, has inaugurated the FIR audit committee, headed by Ahmad Abba, Director of Special Duties to spearhead the exercise. Members of the committee, drawn from air traffic services, CNS/ATM systems, Aeronautical Information Management, AIM, safety management, and search and rescue departments will liaise with industry stakeholders, regulatory authorities and frontline operational staff to ensure a rigorous, transparent and inclusive process.”

Quoting Farouk, the statement added: “The safety and efficiency of our airspace is non-negotiable. The successful outcome of this initiative will not only strengthen NAMA’s operational systems but also consolidate Nigeria’s credibility and leadership in the global aviation community. This exercise reflects NAMA’s determination to lead by example in Africa and to showcase Nigeria’s aviation system as a benchmark of operational excellence and innovation.”

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