Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has urged the National Assembly to end the deduction of 50 per cent of its internally generated revenue, saying the deduction is crippling NAMA’s capacity to meet statutory responsibility, expand capacity and deliver on international obligations.

Managing Director of NAMA, Engr Farouk Umar, in his remarks at the ongoing four-day retreat of the House Committee on Aviation in Abuja, argued that without financial reform, it would be difficult to modernise Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at, NAMA, Dr Abdullahi Musa, who made this known in a statement, said the Managing Director also called for the full enforcement of section 9(2) of the NAMA Act 2022 which stipulates that “all fees and charges imposed by NAMA are not subject to deductions or remittance to any other body.”

Umar said enforcement had become imperative to “enable NAMA maintain critical infrastructure like towers, radars and communication networks; pay and train thousands of skilled personnel who manage the skies daily; fund critical upgrades like Performance Based Navigation, PBN, and Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems, SBAS, meet International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO’s, stringent safety standards as well as deliver continuous service to airlines without interruption.

“Adherence to the provisions of Section 9 (2) of the NAMA Act would enable the agency to among other things, (a) fund critical infrastructure (b) ensure regular maintenance and calibration of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) equipment to ensure compliance with ICAO standards (c) employ and train critical personnel and (d) invest in digitalization and innovation to remain competitive globally.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, expressed the desire of the National Assembly to develop actionable plans and reinforce priorities that enhance aviation safety and also improve infrastructure and regulatory compliance.

He noted that the time had come for stakeholders to effectively share our expertise and synergise to address the challenges and also tap into the opportunities that abound in the sector. He expressed confidence that the retreat would significantly strengthen collective efforts to advance the aviation sector in Nigeria. (Vanguard)