The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured of a new face of aviation in Nigerian airports by December this year, disclosing plans to install access control and Artificial Intelligence (AI) mechanisms at the nation’s airports, whereby every individual that is coming to the airport will be properly checked.
This is just as it has commenced the process of securing mobile courts in collaboration with the Attorney General of Lagos to tackle intruders into the airports.
Director of the Aviation Security Services of FAAN, ACP Afegbai Igbafe, disclosed this to select newsmen in Lagos, saying that this would help the Authority a great deal to close some of the gaps identified during the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audits.
He noted that most of the issue of insecurity hinges on the perimeter fencing of the airports, because most of the fencing has been destroyed by the neighbouring communities.
According to Igbafe, there had been a lot of encroachments in the perimeter area because it is a vast land, adding however; that the Authority has been trying to put a lot in place with the little resources it has, mostly on patrol measures.
He said: “We met a lot of issues when we came on board. We tried to fix a lot of them by providing some of the amenities like the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, we upgraded them. Now, presently, we are trying to do access control whereby every individual that is coming to the airport will be properly checked because we found that we have a lot of concessionaires that have a lot of security people who are not supposed to be at the airport and they come in and out.
“So right now if we put the access control in place, I think it will help us a great lot and we have a lot of gaps during the ICAO audits so we’re trying to fix up those gaps.
“We have patrols at night. We have observation posts which are being manned by the Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel. Then we have joint patrols with the military, the Air Force, and the AVSEC personnel. And because of the perimeter area too we just recently launched the armed unit of the AVSEC.
“I will tell you there is a big challenge because we will get as many as 20 to 30 intruders every night. And the problem we are having is our court system. When we hand them over to the Police before we know it they are released.
“The Legal Department of FAAN is collaborating with the Attorney General of Lagos State to help us get mobile courts so these things will be handled swiftly.”
To further enhance security at the airports, the Director said nobody is being given preferential treatment in the airport, stating that even “my minister (the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development) subjects himself to search, my MD (the Managing Director of FAAN) subjects herself to search. I subject myself to search.
“You will pass through the screening machines or the body detector machine. You must adhere to the rules when you come to the airport.”
Noting that VIPs are VIPs and should be honoured, he disclosed that FAAN in view of this is trying to launch the fast track to achieve speed in scanning VIPs.
However, Igbafe said the fast track system is not going to be just only for the VIPs but for anybody; so anybody that is interested will come in if he or she wants to be attended to swiftly and seamlessly. “It happens in our entire world. We were in America and at the Chicago airport. They have a fast track system,” he informed.
Speaking further, he highlighted some modern technology introduced into the AVSEC department since his assumption of office to include the introduction of a database system.
“Because, AVSEC is a professional body in which the staffers undergo instructor courses by the ICAO standards.
“So, what we are putting in place is we are preparing an algorithm whereby everybody will be put in the database. And with the flick of the button, we know those who have done their courses, those who are certified, the time they are supposed to go on certification, the time their certificates will be expiring. All those are being worked on,” he explained.
Continuing Igbafe said that he expressed shock when he came on board to realise that AVSEC has been in existence for over 10 years with their uniforms not gazette, adding that some AVSEC officials were receiving regular training.
“Well, I’ve done that (the uniforms are now gazette). AVSEC personnel were not being trained. Some people five years, 10 years, 15 years ago. Some people have been in AVSEC for about 20 years, they’ve not gone on the course.
“So, with the assistance of the MD and the Minister funds were released. Even presently, as I am talking now, we have Ghanaians, Sierra Leoneans and Gambians who are attending courses in our ASTC, which is the aviation security training centre because we happen to be one of the security outfits or one of the countries that is certified by ICAO.
“So, we have achieved a lot. When we came the second international runway had been closed for over nine months. And we tried our best, the Managing Director, the Minister, the Director of Airport Operations and the Director of Engineering. They all put their heads together and it was re-opened,” he highlighted further.
“I can assure you that between now and December, you will see a new face of aviation at the airports,” Igbafe boasted.