Expert seeks upgrade of Nigerian airports
The Chief Executive Officer of Eden & Mcwhit Aviation Security, Dr. Naima Fraser, has advised the Federal Government to upgrade Nigerian airports in order to be compliant with the ICAO and IATA’s regulations for aviation security.
This, according to her, is necessary in view of increasing global terrorism and to achieve a global airport security status.
The aviation security expert, in a statement on Sunday, commended the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and President Muhammudu Buhari, for their prompt attention to the aviation security situation at the airports in the country.
She, however, maintained that while it was encouraging that Nigeria had initiated policies to attract foreign direct investment in order to boost the economy, it was also important that “we make our airports safer and secure in line with global requirements.”
Dr. Fraser said, “The Federal Government and Ministry of Aviation should be innovative in evolving financial solutions to achieve a first-class aviation security status for all international airports in the country without expending scarce resources during this recession. Nigeria should learn to use what we have to get what we need.
“Airport concessioning has its advantages, but aviation security projects all over the world using the latest digital technology are regularly updated and cannot be borne by government funding alone. Therefore, when our airports are concessioned, the aviation security aspect is not included and is worked out on a BMT (Build Manage &Train basis) because aviation security is the responsibility of the government with a technical partner/investor.
“West African countries such as Sierra Leone and other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia are benefitting presently from this business model which has been introduced to the Federal Aviation Authority by Eden & Mcwhit supported by its Principal in the United Kingdom.
She said Nigeria should not waste any more time in concluding with the company so that investors can assist the Federal Government and relevant authorities to upgrade the International airports with the latest digital aviation security equipment, products & solutions, train the Nigerian aviation security personnel and bring in professional aviation security guards to support the Nigerian AVSEC personnel, with trained K9 aviation security dogs from the UK and all the standard modern digital aviation security products including thermal cameras that detects passengers with a high fever from a distance, day and night vision CCTV cameras, latest baggage & passenger scanners, perimeter security radar and a Command and Control Centre to network all products and solutions.
“All these would be put in place without any payment from the Federal Government, Ministry of Aviation or the Federal Aviation Authority. Other countries have benefited so why not Nigeria? The Federal Government Agencies need to fast track proposals in respect of Aviation Security projects due to the long winded bureaucratic process so as to encourage foreign direct investment into the country.”
She said government ought to be proactive with strategy for aviation security not reactive, stressing that government should not wait for something to happen before they put preventive measures and act.
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