…Says Navigational Infrastructure Well Maintained
BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has reassured the anxious flying public and industry stakeholders that Harmattan weather does not compromise air safety in Nigeria, insisting that the country’s navigational infrastructure remains robust, well maintained and fully aligned with global aviation standards.
In a detailed response by Dr Abdullahi Musa, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, to a recent national newspaper report that raised concerns about Harmattan operations and the state of landing facilities, NAMA said the publication, though touching on legitimate seasonal weather challenges, advanced claims that risked misleading the public and creating unnecessary anxiety.
According to the agency, the report conflated weather-related operational limitations with alleged infrastructural inadequacies, an interpretation it described as technically flawed and inconsistent with how modern aviation safety systems function.
“While seasonal meteorological conditions are a legitimate subject of public discourse, it is essential that such discussions are anchored on technical accuracy, regulatory context, and an informed understanding of how aviation safety systems function,”NAMA said.
Stressing that air safety must be evaluated within the framework of established international standards rather than public perception.
The agency stated unequivocally that all navigational aids at Federal Government airports are routinely maintained, flight-checked and calibrated in strict compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices, as well as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
“These processes are not discretionary. They are mandatory safety requirements,” NAMA said, explaining that calibration and inspection are conducted using its dedicated flight inspection aircraft operated by highly trained technical and flight inspection personnel.
Critical infrastructure such as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) and other Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traffic Management facilities undergo periodic ground and airborne verification to ensure signal integrity, operational accuracy and safety reliability.
Beyond internal processes, NAMA noted that its activities are carried out under continuous regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which audits compliance, validates calibration cycles and enforces corrective actions where required.
The agency also dismissed suggestions of opacity, pointing out that the operational status of navigational aids nationwide is formally published through Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP) Supplements, which are accessible to airlines, pilots, operators and international stakeholders.
It cited AIP Supplement S81/2025 dated October 9, 2025, which documented the calibration and serviceability status of all navigational aids across the country.
At the time of publication, NAMA said only the ILS facilities at Maiduguri, Ilorin, Owerri, Zaria, Minna and Calabar were approaching due calibration dates, while all other systems remained within valid inspection periods.
The agency added that a nationwide round of flight calibration exercises conducted in December 2025 restored serviceability timelines across multiple airports, with another cycle scheduled early in the new year to cover Katsina, Jos, Ilorin, Yola and Owerri.
One of the most persistent misconceptions in public commentary, NAMA said, is the assumption that Category III Instrument Landing Systems must be deployed at all airports to guarantee safety during Harmattan.
“This view is technically inaccurate and inconsistent with global aviation practice,” the agency said, explaining that the choice between ILS CAT I, CAT II or CAT III is determined by operational need, traffic volume, aircraft equipage, airline capability and long-term meteorological data.
“Globally, many highly efficient international airports operate safely with CAT I or CAT II systems because prevailing weather conditions do not justify the complexity and cost of CAT III infrastructure”, NAMA noted.
Historical meteorological data across Nigerian airports, it said, show that the least average runway visibility recorded during Harmattan is about 150 metres.
In response, NAMA has designed and published instrument approach procedures aligned with ILS CAT II minima, which adequately support safe operations even during the most challenging seasonal conditions typically experienced in the country.
“To suggest that the absence of widespread CAT III systems equates to compromised safety is therefore misleading,” the agency said, emphasising that aviation safety is determined by appropriateness and reliability, not by deploying the highest available technology where it is operationally unjustified.
NAMA stressed that airports where ILS CAT II procedures are published are fully capable of supporting safe operations within approved minima, subject to airline and aircraft capability.
Where systems are temporarily downgraded or withdrawn, it said, such actions are taken conservatively in the interest of safety, not as evidence of regulatory failure.
Addressing delays and cancellations often associated with Harmattan, the agency explained that these are primarily driven by weather conditions, airline operational decisions and aircraft capability rather than neglect or breakdown of navigational aids.
“Weather is an external variable that no aviation authority can eliminate; it can only be managed through accurate forecasting, conservative decision-making, and adherence to established minima,” NAMA said.
The agency noted that it works closely with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency to ensure continuous dissemination of accurate and timely weather information, while providing real-time air traffic management support throughout the Harmattan season.
Reaffirming its position, NAMA said Nigeria’s airspace is safe, professionally managed and aligned with global best practice, adding that Harmattan weather, though operationally challenging, does not imply infrastructural failure or diminished safety standards.
The agency said it welcomes constructive engagement on aviation matters but will continue to correct inaccuracies in the interest of public understanding and the shared goal of safe, secure and efficient air travel in Nigeria.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.