Nigeria Content Online

Officers from the
Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) department of the Nigerian
Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on Monday called on the federal
government to “fast track” the automation of equipment used in carrying
out their duties.

The officers, under
their umbrella body, Aeronautical Information Services Association of
Nigeria (AISAN), during a press briefing at the presidential wing of
the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, disclosed that safety can be
fully achieved in Nigeria’s aviation industry when complete automation
of aeronautical facilities are put in place.

“Real time
technology is more than necessary in this dispensation and it is
important that AIS be automated so that we can deliver information
efficiently and get expected results,” said Paul Igene, president of
the association.

Mr. Igene, who
noted that the association will on May 15, commemorate its 2010 world
AIS day, argued that less advanced nations than Nigeria have automated
their facilities but aeronautical equipment in our country are yet to
be computerized. “If Kenya, a small country in the continent, have
automated their AIS, what is then wrong with Nigeria, the giant of
Africa?” he asked. “You cannot compare manual operations with
technologically driven activities.”

Call for Implementation

Anthony Nweke,
general secretary of the association, disclosed that the contract for
the automation of the aeronautical facilities has been awarded, but
expressed displeasure with the “slow pace” of implementation.

“The federal
government has awarded the contract and work is on, but what we are
clamouring for is that the automation be fast tracked,” he said. “They
have been working on this in the past, but it’s like they slowed the
pace. We want things to work this time, for we are lagging behind in
Nigeria.” Explaining the significance of automation to the AIS, Mr.
Nweke disclosed that officers can efficiently access, monitor and send
information to pilots, rather than doing it manually should there be
automated facilities.

“When we have a
complete automated outfit, the loss of information on transit to pilots
will be checked completely, and we can get instantaneous feedback from
these pilots and other aeronautical personnel when necessary,” he said.
“It should be noted that we have been fighting for this automation for
more than a decade now, so we hope that things will be better this
time.”

The president of
the association, Mr. Igene, however, disclosed that the officers are in
need of more employees, adding that the government should also promote
casual workers that have been with the department for a long period.

“Presently, AIS is
understaffed and the strength cannot efficiently carry out all
necessary duties,” he said. “We, therefore, wish that the management
employ some of the long-standing casuals in our team who have been with
us for about six, 10 and some 15 years.”