By Mercy Odeh (Content Editor)

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has dismissed allegations that it abandoned a CAT III Instrument Landing System (ILS) reportedly purchased in 2019, saying the equipment was removed from Lagos Airport after repeated failures raised safety concerns.

The agency’s Director of Safety, Electronic and Engineering Services (DSEES), Mrs Teresa Ihenachor, said the ILS had been repaired more than seven times within a short period after she assumed office, but repeatedly became unserviceable.

“We did not abandon anything. It was removed for safety,” Ihenachor said.

According to her, the CAT III ILS had a history of unserviceability and was not compatible with the infrastructure and operational conditions available at the Lagos airport.

She said that even after the system was installed, it had to be downgraded to CAT II because the airport lacked some of the associated infrastructure required for CAT III operations.

“Our airfield lighting is still on CAT I. Most of our equipment are downgraded to CAT II. So, having CAT III with the airfield lighting CAT I is very difficult,” she said.

Ihenachor said the equipment continued to malfunction even after being downgraded, adding that it was particularly sensitive to environmental conditions and could give erroneous readings over minor disturbances.

She said the situation became more concerning because Lagos was a busy airport and pilots had complained about the reliability of the system.

“Lagos being a very busy airport, this issue of frequent unserviceability prompted me to have it removed,” she said.

The director said NAMA subsequently obtained permission from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to remove the equipment and install a new CAT II ILS that had originally been procured for another station.

According to her, the replacement system, described as a NOMAC CAT II ILS, has remained operational.

She said NAMA had also addressed power-related challenges through the deployment of a solar power system, which had helped eliminate frequent power-related unserviceability.

Ihenachor argued that the procurement of CAT III equipment without corresponding upgrades to supporting airport infrastructure could create operational and safety challenges.

She said airports seeking to operate CAT III ILS would first need to upgrade their airfield lighting and meet other associated requirements.

“You have to make sure that what you have adapts to your environment,” she said.

The NAMA official said airfield lighting was under the responsibility of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), rather than NAMA, making the availability of the necessary supporting infrastructure a matter requiring coordination between the relevant agencies.

Ihenachor also disclosed that the CAT III ILS at Abuja had similarly been downgraded to CAT II, stressing that this did not mean the equipment had been wasted.

She said NAMA was considering redeploying some of the equipment to other airports where it could be appropriately utilised, including Calabar, which she said needed an ILS.

“The one in Lagos was very erratic. We can’t have it at those international airports,” she said.

The director maintained that the decision to remove the Lagos equipment was driven by safety considerations and not a desire to discard the system.

She said the agency’s approach was to ensure that navigation equipment was supported by the infrastructure and environmental conditions necessary for reliable operation.

“The bottom line is CAT III cannot function in Nigeria due to non-compliance with the environmental requirements,” Ihenachor said, adding that such requirements included appropriate airfield lighting, lighting systems, frequency considerations and reliable power supply.

She said while NAMA had addressed the power component through solar energy, airfield lighting remained outside the agency’s direct responsibility.

Ihenachor also defended NAMA’s response to recent challenges involving a mobile control tower, saying the agency deployed the facility rapidly and modified it to meet its operational requirements.

She said NAMA added equipment to the mobile tower using its own technical expertise, and later strengthened its power supply after discovering that the original power capacity was insufficient for the additional equipment installed.

Before air traffic controllers returned to the facility, she said, the agency’s Safety Management System team was invited to conduct a safety assessment.

She added that mobile transceiver radios were also deployed as an additional safety measure, enabling air traffic controllers to communicate with and control aircraft when necessary.

“I am extremely safety conscious of anything I do,” Ihenachor said.