The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has embarked on an extensive infrastructural revolution to strengthen operational efficiency, enhance safety, and empower the workforce that safeguards Nigeria’s skies.
Speaking at the 54th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) in Abuja, Managing Director and Chief Executive, Engineer Ahmed Umar Farouk, said the initiative represents the most ambitious transformation in the agency’s history, backed by tens of billions of naira in capital investment.
“Under my leadership, NAMA has embarked on the most ambitious infrastructural revolution in its recent history,” Farouk declared.
He explained that the agency has renovated and modernised Control Towers at 11 critical stations, including Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt.
In addition, NAMA has completely overhauled administrative and technical buildings nationwide, from its Lagos headquarters to regional stations in Bauchi, Sokoto, and Benin, ensuring that personnel operate in safe, modern, and efficient environments.
Farouk noted that the ongoing infrastructural revolution also includes securing critical assets through perimeter fencing at VOR and TRACON sites, guaranteeing uninterrupted power through the installation of hundreds of generators, solar hybrid systems, and Automatic Mains Failure (AMF) panels, as well as providing advanced UPS units for power stability.
He added that the agency has procured vital operational tools such as new VHF radios, upgraded Instrument Landing System/Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME), and new operational vehicles. These acquisitions, he said, have strengthened NAMA’s communication, navigation, and surveillance capacity while ensuring the highest level of safety across Nigerian airspace.
“This infrastructural revolution is a clear signal of our commitment to giving you the world-class tools and facilities you deserve to perform your duties effectively,” he affirmed.
Farouk stated that beyond infrastructure, NAMA’s priority remains its people the air traffic controllers and technical experts who ensure daily safety and efficiency in the skies.
He declared 2025 as the Year of Capacity Building at NAMA, revealing that the agency trained 230 senior managers overseas, including 110 Air Traffic Controllers, marking the largest such exercise since the agency’s creation. Domestically, nearly 90 percent of operational, technical, and contract staff underwent local training and workshops — the highest figure in 25 years.
According to him, this human capacity drive is the human side of the infrastructural revolution, ensuring that personnel can fully utilise the modern tools and facilities now at their disposal. To achieve this, NAMA increased its training budget by 78 percent, a deliberate investment in professional excellence and long-term safety.
“A modern control tower is just a shell without a skilled, confident, and motivated controller inside it,” Farouk emphasised. “The Human Edge must be sharpened continuously.”
On welfare, Farouk disclosed that NAMA is awaiting approval of a new Conditions of Service (COS) document from the National Salaries and Wages Commission, which will significantly enhance staff remuneration and welfare. Its implementation, he said, will further boost productivity and morale across all NAMA divisions.
He also used the opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government to review the 30–50 percent deductions at source from NAMA’s internally generated revenue, describing the policy as a major constraint to sustaining its infrastructural revolution.
“If allowed to reinvest our full revenue, NAMA will expand this infrastructural revolution and further upgrade Nigeria’s airspace technology, safety, and human capital,” he stated.
Farouk commended NATCA for its achievements, including greater international representation within the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA) and the successful hosting of the IFATCA AFM Executive Council Meeting in Nigeria.
He also appreciated Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, for their continued leadership and support, which have made NAMA’s ongoing infrastructural revolution possible.
“Your professionalism and commitment to safety are the true bedrock of Nigerian aviation,” Farouk said. “You are the custodians of our skies, and we are committed to being the custodians of your growth.”
The 54th NATCA AGM, themed “The Human Edge: Capacity Building in the Next Generation Air Traffic Management,” reaffirmed the crucial link between infrastructure, human capacity, and safety in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
