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FG grants NAMA approval to find lasting solution to obsolete radar
Following a high-level briefing from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has authorised the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to find a lasting solution to the geriatric total radar coverage of Nigeria (TRACON).
There are indications that the government may consider releasing funds to overhaul and modernise Nigeria’s aging radar infrastructure.
In a significant move for Nigeria’s aviation safety, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Umar Farouk Ahmed, confirmed that Tinubu has granted approved for the total overhaul and replacement of the nation’s obsolete radar systems.
The move comes just days after the NAMA MD raised a red alert. He warned that the TRACON system, commissioned back in 2010, had reached a state of critical obsolescence, with engineers forced to scavenge for non-existent spare parts to keep the nation’s “eyes in the sky” open.
He warned that the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria otherwise known as TRACON system, commissioned back in 2010, had reached a state of critical obsolescence, with engineers forced to scavenge for non-existent spare parts to keep the nation’s “eyes in the sky” open
The scope of presidential intervention include procurement of modern signal processors and antennas for the nine primary radar sites, including Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt and a shift away from “working without backup” by installing secondary surveillance systems to eliminate potential blind spots.
The intervention also includes moving from the outdated 2008 architecture toward the more sophisticated platforms adopted by global aviation leaders since 2014.
Farouk further stated that the agency is currently in high-stakes discussions with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Thales Group of France, to secure a lifeline for the aging system before the total overhaul of the ageing equipment.
The situation is a classic aviation dilemma:Since 2014, sourcing parts for the TRACON system (deployed between 2008 and 2010) has become a nightmare.
The technology has surpassed its 10-year design life, and many components are now officially “end-of-life,” meaning Thales no longer mass-produces them.
To keep the radar screens glowing at major hubs like Lagos and Abuja, NAMA has often had to rely on cannibalizing parts from less critical installations—a “rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul” strategy that is no longer sustainable.
“The President has granted approval to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo to find solution to the surveillance system. NAMA is already in talks with the OEM. There is already approval to that”, Farouk said.
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