Inadequate Investment in Infrastructure Bane of NAMA-NAAE

The National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) has warned that Nigeria’s air navigation system is being undermined by years of inadequate investment in infrastructure, delayed funding for critical projects, and insufficient reinvestment of internally generated revenue.

In a statement signed by President Engr. Selzing D. Miri and General Secretary Engr. Muhammadu S. Shuaibi, the association said the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is struggling to meet rising operational demands amid manpower shortages and the escalating cost of maintaining sophisticated Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems in line with ICAO standards.

The engineers argued that calls for privatisation are misplaced, insisting that the Federal Government should instead pursue reforms that strengthen NAMA’s institutional capacity. They urged the government to grant NAMA greater financial and operational autonomy, stop excessive deductions from its internally generated revenue, and channel more capital investment into replacing obsolete equipment, deploying emerging technologies, enhancing cybersecurity, and modernising Nigeria’s airspace management architecture.

NAAE also called for continuous training and retraining of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel, Air Traffic Controllers, and Aeronautical Information Service Officers, stressing that their competence directly impacts aviation safety. Improved staff welfare, allowances, and career progression were highlighted as urgent priorities to stem the migration of skilled professionals abroad.

The association further demanded predictable funding for maintenance, spare parts procurement, calibration, and modernisation of safety-critical systems. It noted that successful Air Navigation Service Providers worldwide enjoy financial stability, operational independence, and sustained government support, placing safety and national interest above commercial profit.

NAAE cautioned that privatisation of NAMA could compromise long-term investment planning, increase user charges, weaken service delivery to less commercially attractive locations, and expose strategic national assets to commercial pressures inconsistent with aviation safety.

Despite financial and operational constraints, NAMA has continued to discharge its statutory responsibilities, with Nigerian aviation professionals maintaining one of Africa’s busiest airspaces safely.

The association insisted that granting NAMA full autonomy, reinvesting its revenue, and modernising infrastructure would position it as one of Africa’s leading Air Navigation Service Providers.

Concluding, NAAE called on the Federal Government, National Assembly, regulators, labour unions, and stakeholders to reject privatisation proposals, stressing that Nigeria’s airspace is a strategic national asset that must remain under strong national control, adequately funded, and technologically advanced to meet international standards.