The Total Coverage of Nigeria was installed in 2010 to capture aircraft in the airspace, identify them and help air traffic controllers by safely guiding the aircraft to its destination. Since it’s installation, however, the system has been ravaged by inconsistent management and endless upgrades. Reports indicated that the federal government decided to enact the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), signing a deal with Thales of France, the manufacturer. The scheduled TRACON upgrade which was commissioned about 12 years ago, was billed to cost about N4 billion, with which 15 percent of the money was paid.
In truth, the TRACON project has been a significant facility that have helped air navigation and surveillance within the Nigerian airspace, enabling real search and rescue operations. Prior to the FG’s decision to rehabilitate this facility, it had been faced with numerous structural problems in spares replacement, inconsistent maintenance agreement with Thales, amongst others. A year ago, Mr. Matthew Lawrence Pwajok, revealed that TRACON had a five-year maintenance pact with the manufacturer which had since elapsed. He noted that in a bid to reduce cost, NAMA had to hand over the maintenance operation to indigenous engineers, a process which he stated had saved the FG a large amount of funds.
Severing maintenance was reported to have affected TRACON’s capacities.
Mr. Pwajok, whilst talking about the project’s upgrade, noted that the TRACON upgrade which had been ongoing since 2010 was still not completed, despite it being expected to improve the facility’s efficiency and functionality of the system. He noted that with the operations becoming automated and information, issued electronically, the workload of Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) and pilots. This upgrade is however proposed to cover the entire country, including the nine TRACON locations.
Further reports showed that whilst severing of the maintenance agreement might have helped the FG to save more funds, it also affected the capacities of TRACON, as numerous out modeled parts were not replaced, which led to the degradation of the system. The former Managing Director of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Fola Akinkuotu also confirmed this dilapidated status quo, prior to the intervention to rehabilitate the system. While evaluating the status quo of the various pieces of equipment, he stated that the situation had witnessed an evident improvement, as compared to 2017.
NAMA Official says equipment needs continued maintenance.
On the problem of obsolete equipment, insider sources indicated that as a result of the long period that it took to install TRACON, as well as the time wasted before its operations, some of the parts were already obsolete. Thus, there have been urges for constant upgrades of the system but the new arising problem is that the spares installed have become extinct, with significant changes in the present radar system. Another NAMA official that uses the TRACON equipment noted that they had been using the equipment for a long period and it now needed turnaround maintenance. He stated that the equipment needed augmentation. It was revealed that NAMA intended to establish a new navigation center.
For efficiently delivering its services, TRACON is presently being reconsidered and upgraded. An anonymous official revealed that with the TRACON’s significant role in the airspace management, there was a need to ensure optimum performance. According to the anonymous official, there was a poignant need to rehabilitate and replace the equipment that came with the 2010 installation. He indicated that there were plans to recondition the equipment to the pre-installation state, which would make it new again. He however expressed his uncertainty as to whether the process would be completed.
Newly employed NATCA personnel have shown less motivation for work.
Further investigations also showed that in response to the complaints of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controller Association (NATCA) to ensure the employment of more controllers, government had exploited these clamors in employing new personnel that have less motivations to work and even zero intrinsic desire to learn. This has thus made it cumbersome to adapt to the training process. Reports further suggested that many of these new personnel have not shown enough discipline in abiding by directives.
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Elusive radar coverage of Nigeria – TRACON project eases air navigation and surveillance of Nigeria’s airspace. – Express your point of view.
The surveillance of Nigeria airspace is very important. It will also help to aid the security consciousness of the people. I agree with what TRACORN is really doing regarding the Airspace.
The elusive radar coverage of Nigeria is a significant challenge that affects the country’s safety and security, as well as its ability to monitor its airspace and weather conditions. Nigeria needs to invest in modern and reliable radar systems, mitigate interference and improve the rugged terrain in critical areas to establish comprehensive radar coverage.
TRACON project eases air navigation and surveillance of Nigeria’s airspace. This project is very important for the control and tracking the aircraft. All this project need a very good management and maintenance
Many things are very wrong in Nigeria system in managing things and the major of it is bad maintenance culture,unserious attitude to government work,bad salary and emulument and corruption.These are the real problems facing our development.
This is a important project that need to be done it will help in monitoring and tracking airspace this are modern technology we should have in our country
Airspace surveillance in Nigeria is crucial. It will also contribute to raising people’s awareness of the importance of personal safety. When it comes to the Airspace, I support TRACORN’s actions.
It’s great that the FG was able to save a tonne of money thanks to NAMA’s transfer of repair and maintenance duties to in-house engineers.
Airspace surveillance in Nigeria is crucial. It will also contribute to raising people’s awareness of the need of personal safety. When it comes to the Airspace.
Lack of reliable electromagnetic waves surveillance across Nigeria is a major problem that hinders the capacity of the nation to keep an eye on its territory and environment.
It is unfortunate that our Government lack of maintenance is killing so many sector, massive equipment and project such as the case of TRACON project that is meant to ease air navigation and surveillance of Nigeria’s airspace. The early the better our government wakes up to the reality of this lack of maintenance culture the better for this country.
The TRACON project use for easing air navigation and surveillance of Nigeria’s airspace lack maintenance.The lack of maintenance culture in our government is a major factor that need to be dealt with. Please, government should work on employing the right set of people to run the TRACON project.
We need to invest in this because it will improve our ability to monitor and track airspace, and it represents the kind of cutting-edge technology that every government today should have.