MAZI NNAMDI UDOH THE NIGERIAN AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT AGENCY, HAS QUIETLY BEEN REVOLUTIONISING AND MAKING THE AIRSPACE SAFE BY ACQUIRING THE LATEST EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE IN THE INDUSTRY AS WELL AS TRAINING THE WORKFORCE AND REPLACING THE AGEING STAFF. THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE AGENCY, MAZI NNAMDI UDOH, RECENTLY SPOKE WITH ROLAND OGBONNAYA AND STANLEY NKWAZEMA ON THE GIANT STRIDES MADE BY THE AGENCY TO MAKE NIGERIAN AIRSPACE SAFER Not so many people know much about your organisation. However, through extraneous interference, NAMA lost focus at a point. What actually happened and what is the position in the agency now? Let me give you a brief about the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). It was created by Act No: 48 of 1999 with the mandate to develop the Nigerian airspace to a level consistent with the requirement of ICAO standard and recommended practices (SARPs) and provides air navigation services to ensure safe, efficient, expeditious and economic flight operations in the country. Honestly, I must tell you that change is one is thing that must be embraced. There were several factors, which really slowed down the growth of NAMA—acrimony, labour and industrial issues with mismanagement used to be the major problems hindering the pace of development in the agency. But we have been able to create a conducive atmosphere devoid of acrimony. The workers know what their rights are, what to expect and where they are going. There is direction of purpose. We have been able to sort out the pension issues and when workers retire, they know what exactly to expect as we are fully implementing the PENCOM Act in NAMA. It is no longer a question of guessing. Nobody can take what belongs to you. We have deployed the PENCOM policy and it’s fully implemented. There is no way you can perform efficiently when your workers are not happy they will certainly not have direction of purpose. You must make sure your work environment is conducive and the organised labour is carried along in all decisions taken by management. It may not be favourable to every single worker in your organisation, but at least you must carry them along. Since you came on board as the Managing Director, what have been the significant changes you can rightly say you have put in place? I can rightly tell you that we have so far achieved the total radar coverage of Nigeria’s airspace. Total radar surveillance is now in place—total VHFR and seamless air traffic control. It’s a landmark that we have been able to cover the entire air space. That is why when we say an aircraft has dropped we can tell you the exact point it dropped and so it makes search and rescue easier for all the agencies involved in the operations. Can we really say we have total radar coverage? Aircrafts now move with efficiency. We have done a lot in terms of equipment and thanks to the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah. She does not compromise on quality and we have ensured that we are not lacking in terms of what needs to be done and how it should be done. So, all our operations from Lagos here to Talalata Mafara, Bida, Potiskum and the Niger Delta areas are up to date. We also have stations in Bida and Potiskum. The Marine wing is also being put in place so that no matter the level, we can easily detect the aircraft in or airspace. We will collaborate with the relevant agencies. You see people say we are only in 16 airports. It is not true. We do more than that because some of our operations are even in the desert parts of this country. We have over 50 stations and we have total radar coverage of the airspace. Before it was only a few areas we covered. But now we have covered every part of the country. When planes are in your airspace, you must be in touch before it lands and takes off and until it is no longer within your area where another country takes over. However, that does not mean you have lost touch, the pilot must be handed over to another area. We have several enroute stations that are not necessarily located within the airport vicinity, but in remote areas we ensure that the equipment we deploy there are maintained and kept at the required weather conditions despite the hazards. Like I told you, the aviation industry is a regulated industry. Other countries within our region also collaborate with us. There are certain basic services we also provide for them to ensure the safety of our airspace. Today we have over 250 private jets if not more, and also the commercial airlines. It keeps us busy and you must make sure all are given attention when the need arises. In the past, the structure of the agency was top heavy, 33 general managers and seven directors, which was affecting about 80 per cent of the revenue. What is the situation now? One thing Nigerians should understand is that government does not pay us. We now pay our surplus into the federal government account. We have a viable organisation that now generates its funds. This year we are targeting about N18 billion. We have collected over N15 billion and we may surpass the target. It will go up next year when we have put in place more structures. We are targeting about N30 billion in the next few years because there are many activities in the industry unlike before. We will soon start funding our projects without recourse to government. If you provide the services we provide you should be able to charge fees that are standard. It’s the ICAO regulations and we are not doing anything outside the industry. We have been able to restructure for more efficiency. We now have only three directorates, six directors and we are also trying to make the legal aspect of our operations more functional. We are coping with corresponding funding from the federal government. Recently, the Federal Government directed that NAMA should take over the airfield lightning and bird control hazards and calibration from NCAA are you equipped for the additional responsibilities? It is not an additional responsibility. Let me tell you that NAMA does not operate outside the international body. The aviation body is regulated and you cannot go to the open market to buy any equipment or perform any function that is not within the purview of your organisation. We have the staff. Don’t forget that in all, we belong to the Federal Ministry of Aviation and all staff can be redeployed to any organisation were they can perform optimally. NAMA is not like FAAN and NCAA that you see on ground always. We are like the back end organisation. We ensure that aircrafts take off and land safely then the ground staff takes over their function from there. One you are air borne we monitor your movement and work with you to give the much-needed direction from one joint to the other. Yes it is true we have taken over the areas you mentioned. But we want the revenue sharing to also be redistributed from the mandatory five per cent passengers tax. Since we have assumed more responsibility, we should also have more funds from the tax. We need to get more equipment, we need to maintain them and send our engineers and others staff for training. I don’t call it additional responsibilities, but the Federal Ministry of Aviation is just following what is obtained in International aviation or simply put, following the regulatory standards. In other climes, that is what is obtained and if we must say we are members of the ICAO, and then we must strictly adhere to the standards of the organisation. You are either there or you are not there Do we really have the manpower and the capacity to meet this so-called ICAO and world standards? ICAO as you know is a United Nations specialised agency. And Nigeria is a member of the organisation, so we must as a matter of policy follow the rules and regulations guiding the organisation. Don’t underrate the technical capabilities of the Nigerian engineers. We have Nigerians working in several parts of the world as far as the aviation and other fields are concerned. Sometimes I am not surprised when you travel outside and check out the blacks working there, you find out that they are Nigerians. Most of them are even trained here in Nigeria. We have also trained some people outside this country from our Aviation Training Institute, which is recognised worldwide and the universities. Our engineers can handle any technical issue. We have sent so many of them for training on different equipment and am not surprised that most of the repairs and maintenance of the equipment and facilities are handled but the engineers. We have only two technical partners in NAMA, so it helps us to reduce cost as the Nigerian engineers working here are well-trained and receive on the job training to be abreast of the trends. The aviation sector is a sector that changes with the time and you must follow the trend. ICAO can’t allow you to remain stagnant and when new equipment are introduced you are either there or not. Safety is our first priority in the provision of air navigation services. We are committed to implementing, developing and improving strategies, management systems and processes to ensure that all our Air Traffic Management activities uphold the highest level of safety performance and meet national and international standards. Safety culture is embedded in all our operations, in order to improve safety through proactive management rather than reactive compliance with regulatory requirements. We have also embarked on the project to cover all the Niger Delta area. By the time we are through with the project, we can capture the movements as low as the areas involved in our data. There are activities going on there and the marine sector is now collaborating with the aviation sector to cover the area. It’s a project that we have to complete very soon. It’s a multilateral project and collaboration The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency is saddled with 22 main projects now. Why embark on too project at the same time? It depends on what you say is so many projects at the same time. We are transparent and so we have to publish our projects. Unlike the ordinary tender, the aviation sector is a special one. There are designated and recognised manufacturers and providers of such services, which the ICAO recognises. You don’t go outside the organisations or manufacturers to buy equipment or materials. And in case you don’t know, we have several ways of testing the equipment. They are very clear about that. We also have what we call project management offices for the projects. The offices ensure that it is followed through from conception to completion. The jobs are not hidden. I don’t think it’s only 22 as you are saying. But whatever we are embarking on, we must have enough reason or need for it. And again there are equipment you don’t buy and keep. Some of them must be installed as soon as you have it or ready to replace the existing ones. What are the challenges you have been facing since you assumed headship of this agency. And what really makes you perform optimally? I must tell you that we are now being challenged by the problem of an aging workforce. Our trained hands must retire. We need to replace them and train upcoming engineers. Aviation problem is a chain. We must continue training new hands to be in tune with the challenges in the industry. It’s not alone graduating from the best schools in Nigeria and the world. But when you are on the job, it’s a totally different ball game. So we have to train our young engineers, administrators and all the workers to be on the same page. The policies in the industry need to be reviewed by Government. Some of them are becoming irrelevant or not in tune with reality. We are also faced with what we call snag list. The cost of manpower is becoming too much. There was a time when we were not employing in the industry and this has taken it toll on us. We now must replace the again workforce and we are now feeling the gap which must be filled. There are no scholarships again. Some of us enjoyed the scholarships to the best institutions all over the world. Government has to look into that again so that we can get some of the people sent out to train abroad and students offered scholarships to study and return to put into practice what they have learnt. We really need to do that. What is the relationship between NAMA and sister agencies? There used to be friction amongst the agencies and it caused a lot of delays in implementation with buck passing? Friction is a dead story. It is one big family now. The jobs are spelt out. We are related and any delay on the part of one agency surely affects the other. So we have come to realise that we are interdependent. We must, I mean collaborate to get the best. Remember that lives are involved and any little mistake on the part of any sister agency affects the other and the industry suffers. Do you really enjoy support from the operators and airlines? I must be sincere with you that the support has been encouraging. The only problem is the inability to pay. The debt-profile over one billion naira. But you must use persuasive mechanism to get them pay the debt. If they tell you they don’t have the money to pay, I don’t think that after genuinely taking so many things into consideration the best way is to ground their operations. No. You don’t kill your debtor to get your money. He must be alive to pay up. The airlines have started making money and it is good for the industry. I want them to be alive. But there are sad occurrences when an airline owes you and goes bankrupt. There is no way you can recover all the debt if anything go wrong. So they must be alive to their responsibilities. You will agree with me that you don’t want your debtor to die. He should be alive and work towards paying the debt owed you. We are dialoguing with them as the debt profile with the airlines is about N1 billion. It is also very interesting to note how the airlines have been to adapt so easily with the submission of data electronically. The airlines no longer write with long hands and hand over thereafter. That is why when there is any mishap; it does not take time before the manifest comes out. This is because the list is automatically activated. Do you think that the aviation parastatal is ready for the Akanu Ibiam Airport, which has been designated as an International airport? If you check closely the bulk of the passengers on the Middle East and Asian routes, they are mainly traders from the Aba, Onitsha and the Enugu and Owerri axis. It is the best thing to designate that airport as an international airport and airlines that are wise enough can leverage the opportunity to expand their operations. I am happy that on Saturday, August 24th, the aviation authorities in Ethiopia decided to fly in there. The Ethiopian airlines now have four flights going in and out of Akanu Ibiam Airport every week. The inaugural flight was filled up and from information available; the route is booked till late this year. I also understand that some other carriers are going to fly from there. There is also a new airport coming there and the aerotroplois. The Chinese are working tirelessly to ensure that it is completed ahead of schedule. The President promised the Southeast an International airport and he has been able to fulfill it. The aerotroplois will be like a farm supermarket. The farmers can now utilise the services of the Aerotropolis to market their products at international going rates. It will be an equal opportunity to perform. The Aviation Parastatals are busy trading blames on the 13-year-old boy from Benin who stowed away on board Arik airlines flight from Benin. Who is to share in the responsibility? You cannot rule out stow away in both maritime and Aviation. In the aviation industry, the survival rate is 25 per cent. He was just lucky that the journey was not more than 45 minutes and the boy found himself in Lagos. It is a wakeup call to the industry. We have to improve on our security. It’s sad that the Department of State Security, The Police and Aviation security were all there. But when things happen like this, there is no need denying and claiming innocence. What we need to do is to embark on public enlightenment programmes and collaborate the more. The aviation industry is noted for its lack of continuity on job turnover. Do you see any banana peel on the way? Honestly, I don’t see any banana peel on the way. I know when I am due to retire after service. I know what I am supposed to do and deliver on the expectations. So if I don’t meet the expectations, of course I know that I should be on my way out. I must tell you that the working environment is more conducive now than it used to be. So the Minister has given everybody the chance to perform. And when you see a hardworking Minister who wants the best for the industry, you don’t have any option than to do more.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 11:37:15 +0000
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