FOR Nigeria to have a leading air traffic communications department and modernisation of air traffic communications professionals to promote safety in Africa, the economical operations of air navigations services must be enhanced.
This was the position of the president of the National Air Traffic Communicators’ Association of Nigeria (NACAN), Rabiu Mohammed Sani, while speaking on the association’s 2023 conference, with the theme, ‘Mordenising Air traffic communications profession to promote safety and economical operation of air navigation services in Nigeria’.
Sani, who said Nigeria remains giant in various fields in the continent, insisted that the country must also lead in the mordenisation of its air traffic communications operations, through provision of modern communications equipment and up-to-date training of the aeronautical station’s personnel.
According to the NACANÂ president, only mordenisation will give the country the desired lead, just as he acknowledged the efforts of government through NAMA has so far made in the training of personnel which he said still have room for more improvement.
He used the opportunity to call on the management of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to speed up the installation process of the AHMS machines which started many years ago, adding that, only Lagos and Kano aiports got those machines installed but the configuration is yet to be completed.
NACAN boss also expressed delight that the issue of manpower shortage have been addressed by NAMA to some extent with more than 100 new employees in communications department between 2021 and 2023, adding that, the newly employed staff, when fully trained and utilised, will make impact in Comms and NAMA in general.
On the forthcoming NACAN conference, Sani said the conference slated for November 28 to 30, in Kano, will be witnessed by governors, aviation minister, senators, heads of aviation agencies and parastatals, aviation professionals within Nigeria and African region.
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