The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has issued a stark warning that the nation’s skies could soon go “blind” due to the obsolete state of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) equipment.
The Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Farouk Umar, revealed that the multi-billion naira surveillance system is now operating on borrowed time. Initially completed in 2010 with a projected ten-year lifespan, the technology has officially entered a state of obsolescence, leaving the agency struggling to source spare parts that are no longer manufactured globally.
“The airspace is at the risk of losing surveillance service”, Farouk cautioned during a briefing with the Ministry of Aviation’s new Permanent Secretary, Mahmoud Kambari. He noted that most critical components are currently functioning without any backup, a situation that directly threatens Nigeria’s ability to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety standards.
The TRACON system, which relies on nine radar sites across the country, was designed to provide real-time aircraft tracking.
However, as the global aviation industry migrated to advanced technology in 2014, Nigeria’s infrastructure remained stagnant.
The NAMA boss warned that without an immediate and urgent upgrade, the agency’s ability to monitor and control air traffic effectively may soon be compromised.