NAMA to overhaul Nigerian airspace 25 years after, Abba heads FIR audit committee

• Action, defining moment for agency, says Farouk Umar

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 as well as strengthening NAMA’s readiness for the impending Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) Certification by Nigerian 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.

ICAO divides the world’s airspace into Flight Information Regions (FIRs) to provide Air Traffic Services (ATS). Each FIR is officially recognised and published in ICAO documents and aeronautical charts.

FIRs are typically named after the city or location of the Area Control Centre (ACC) responsible for managing that airspace. The ACC is the central unit providing en-route air traffic control and coordination within the FIR.

Nigeria’s airspace is internationally designated by ICAO as the Kano Flight Information Region (FIR) because Kano was the country’s first international aviation hub and home to the pioneer Area Control Centre responsible for managing over-flight and en-route traffic.

For continuity and global recognition, ICAO retained the name Kano FIR, and it today covers the entire Nigerian airspace as well as portions of the Gulf of Guinea delegated to Nigeria.

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 following 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 — as well as Enugu, Maiduguri, and several state and private aerodromes, including CNS facilities nationwide.

Speaking on the significance of the exercise, the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar described the FIR audit as a defining milestone in the agency’s journey towards excellence in airspace management.

According to him, “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, he noted, 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,” Umar said.

The NAMA boss further stressed that the exercise would provide an invaluable opportunity to foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement within the agency, while also reinforcing Nigeria’s preparedness for international scrutiny, certification, and cooperation.

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 said.

Meanwhile, 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.

Wole Shadare