NiMet boss urges aviation stakeholders to keep using weather forecast
Prof. Mansur Matazu, the Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has urged all relevant stakeholders to keep using the agency`s products and services to ensure safety of lives and property.
Matazu gave the advice in his remarks on Tuesday in Abuja during Aviation Agencies and Stakeholders reports at the maiden edition of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) National Aviation Conference (FNAC).
The event with the theme “Advancing the Frontiers of Possibilities for Safe, Secure and Profitable Air Transport“, is to hold from June 14 to June 17.
According to him, NiMet is determined to keep improving standards to ensure that the Agency`s products and services are accurate and timely.
“We, therefore, encourage all our stakeholders, especially Pilots and the Flying Crews, to take advantage of our products and services and ensure the safety of lives and property at our Airports and other destinations.
“Prevention of weather occurrence is beyond the human technological thrust. It took scientists and industry experts a great deal of effort over the years to understand the complexity of many weather phenomena.
“In NiMet, we work round to provide continuous weather information. These weather information are perishable and must be consumed at the right time,“ he said.
In his remark, Mr Mathew Pwajok, Acting Managing Director, of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), said the agency was established via an Act of Parliament.
According to him, NAMA has the mandate to provide safe, efficient, effective and economic air navigation services to airspace users, through the deployment of new technologies and a dedicated workforce.
The vision is for NAMA to be one of the leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) in the world.
He said the agency had initiated relevant projects to enable it to live up to expectations.
Pwajok said the government had started intensifying efforts to install Category 3 Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the international airports in the country.
According to him, ILS is navigational equipment that provides lateral guidance for an aircraft, sky guidance for the aircraft and longitudinal guidance for the aircraft when landing.
“Navigational facility is one of the very critical requirements for access into an airport safely, efficiently and economically. We place a very high premium on the procurement and installation of navigational equipment.
“Over the past five years, we have deployed significantly a large number of navigational equipment. Category 3 approach system is also required to guide pilots, using the instrument landing system.
“Category 3 landing system is the highest category for landing anywhere in the world. The government is set to invest heavily to ensure that all the nation’s international airports have the facility,“ he said.
Also speaking, Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the implementation of the Aviation roadmap would definitely boost the aviation industry in the country.
According to him, the roadmap that was developed by the Ministry of Aviation was meant to reposition the aviation sector.
“It comprises of important components like – Airport Concession; the National Carrier; Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO); Aviation Leasing Company (ALC); Aerotropolis,“ he said.
The NCAA boss said the authority developed policies to shut down the aviation sector during the COVID-19 pandemic with minimum impact on Nigeria.
