*The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency explains the current 80 percent installation of the N9.42 billion surveillance system will be completed before the end of 2022

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

As part of aviation safety measures in the country, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has disclosed the regulatory body has achieved 80 percent installation of the Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) surveillance system to monitor and track low flying aircraft.

Mr. Lawrence Pwajok, Acting Managing Director of NAMA, disclosed this development Sunday, October 16, 2022, at an interactive session with aviation correspondents聽 Lagos.

Pwajok explained that installation of the surveillance system estimated to cost USD12.9 million (N9.42 billion), would be completed before the year end.

Multilateration (MLat) is a proven technology that has been in use for many decades in both navigation and surveillance applications to track aircraft at any location.

As part of the agency’s aviation safety measures, NAMA recently installed an equipment known as Wide Area Multi Lateration in Port Harcourt for low flying aircraft in the Gulf of Guinea.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) was said to have approved the project 2018.

Pwajok said the equipment would help the agency in carrying out monitoring, control and surveillance of both the manned and unmanned aircraft in the Niger Delta region.

The system also made provision for capturing of low-level flying helicopters in the Gulf of Guinea, especially as their activities increased in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, said he.

According to him, the agency is in the process of concluding the projects but had to call for a stakeholders’ sensitisation to get their inputs.

Pwajok stated: 鈥淭he surveillance system is for the low-flying aircraft and the beauty of this new concept is the capability to capture low flying helicopters that have increased within the Niger Delta area.

鈥淜nowing the strategic nature of this sector and the strategic nature of the economy, we have implemented the surveillance system that will enhance the efficiency of low flying helicopters in that region.”

He also noted: 鈥淲e have also incorporated what we also call the UTM system (Unman-aircraft Traffic Management System) otherwise known as remotely piloted aircraft systems, which can monitor drones and control them within the entire Niger Delta region.”

This type of surveillance system is used for logistics supplies, pipeline monitoring or inspections and security surveillance within the region.

He said: 鈥淪ince they operate within the same airspace, this equipment provides us the credibility for monitoring, surveillance or control of both manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft operating within that area in support of oil exploration activities.

The facility is one of the key modern equipment being installed by the agency.

Pwajok stated the surveillance transmitters and receivers were spread over 29 locations covering the entire Niger Delta, while the system would be centralised in Port Harcourt in three sectors to cover the entire region in Nigeria.