NAMA boss canvasses support, buy-in for aviation roadmap, to train managers on global air navigation plan

Ag. MD NAMA, Mr. Mathew Pwajok

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has concluded arrangements to train Airspace Managers across airports in Nigeria on Global Air Navigation Plan. 

The training is to expose managers to Global Air Navigation Plan, Regional Air Navigation Plan and National Air Navigation Plan and keep them acquainted with the Civil Aviation Policy which is the framework that guides operations nationally. 

The Acting Managing Director, NAMA, Mr. Matthew Lawrence Pwajok who made this known at the weekend in Port Harcourt during this year’s Airspace Managers’ Forum, said, the training is targeted at equipping them with global trends in strategic air traffic management and also building their capacity for seamless airspace operations in their various domains.

According to him, it had become imperative that Airspace Managers at the nation’s airports are kept abreast of global trends in airspace management as aviation is global and there is no Nigerian aviation standard. 

Mr. Pwajok noted that, with the increased pressure on the aviation industry at the global, regional and national level following the growth in passenger and cargo, there was the need for the agency to grow capacity to be able to cope with the increasing traffic, adding that insecurity, expansion in the economy and the upsurge in political activities in Nigeria have also accounted for increased demand for air travel, hence the need for strategic air traffic management that would ensure seamlessness in operations. 

The NAMA helmsman also canvassed the support and buy-in of managers with respect to the aviation roadmap being implemented by the minister, which he said would enhance the growth of the industry. 

“the honourable Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika sees aviation as a support role to every sector and to everybody, irrespective of political leaning.”

According to him, airports the world over are best handled by experts who run them as a business and not the government, adding that concessioning of airports in Nigeria would attract direct foreign investment necessary for export expansion, development of aerotropolis, airport cities, cargo terminals as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations.

According to him, “you must also be kept abreast of the Aviation Roadmap or Masterplan of the Federal Government; our Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Masterplan and the milestones towards attaining these masterplans because these are frameworks within which we are expected to operate in carrying out our statutory function as the nation’s airspace manager.”