The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has commenced a comprehensive audit of the entire Kano Flight Information Region (FIR), also known as the Nigerian airspace.
The exercise which commenced on Tuesday is a systematic self-assessment audit by the agency targeted at examining the overall safety performance, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance of the Nigerian airspace.
The audit is coming 25 years after such an audit was carried out in the FIR amidst the rise in passenger traffic and aircraft movement.
Daily Trust reports that the FIR represents the entire Nigerian airspace.
As part of the audit, the Managing Director, Engr Farouk Umar has inaugurated the FIR Audit Committee, headed by Ahmad Abba, Director of Special Duties to spearhead the exercise.
Members of the committee, drawn from air traffic services, CNS/ATM systems, Aeronautical Information Management (AIM), safety management, and search and rescue departments will liaise with industry stakeholders, regulatory authorities, and frontline operational staff to ensure a rigorous, transparent, and inclusive process.
Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Abdullahi Musa who disclosed the planned audit in a statement said it would also strengthen NAMA’s readiness for the forthcoming Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) Certification by Nigeria Civil Aviation Agency (NCAA) and the forthcoming ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) and Regional Office Safety Team (ROST) Mission.
The FIR Audit also seeks to Evaluate the state of Air Traffic Services (ATS), Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) facilities, Aeronautical Information Management (AIM), Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) and Search and Rescue (SAR) operations as well as identify gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).
The Audit will cover detailed inspections of Nigeria’s four major international airports — Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt — along with Enugu, Maiduguri, and several state and private aerodromes, including CNS facilities across the nation.
Daily Trust reports that there have been concerns about the state of communication and navigational facilities at Nigerian airspace.
At a time, some stakeholders raised issues about the inability of the airspace management agency to detect some unauthorised aircraft flying on Nigerian airspace.
Speaking on the significance of the exercise, the Managing Director said the FIR Audit is a defining milestone in the agency’s journey towards excellence in airspace management.
He said, “This audit is a landmark initiative, the first of its kind in NAMA’s 25-year history and it marks a bold and proactive step by the agency to reinforce its mandate of delivering safe, efficient, and seamless air navigation services in full alignment with international best practices.
“The conduct of this comprehensive and multi-dimensional FIR audit is a landmark initiative that will not only reflect on past achievements but also strategically chart the course for the future of Nigeria’s airspace management under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This audit is more than a compliance check. It is a declaration of our resolve to constantly improve, to measure ourselves against the highest global standards, and to guarantee that every flight in Nigeria’s airspace is managed with the utmost safety and efficiency. It is about building systems that are robust, resilient, and respected globally,” Engr. Umar said.
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He charged all directors, departmental heads, staff, and industry stakeholders to give their fullest cooperation and support to the Audit Committee.
“The safety and efficiency of our airspace is non-negotiable. The successful outcome of this initiative will not only strengthen NAMA’s operational systems but also consolidate Nigeria’s credibility and leadership in the global aviation community. This exercise reflects NAMA’s determination to lead by example in Africa and to showcase Nigeria’s aviation system as a benchmark of operational excellence and innovation,” he stressed.
