The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is advancing the deployment of new aircraft surveillance technology to improve the monitoring and management of Nigeria’s airspace.
The agency said it is implementing Space-Based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) alongside Wide Area Multilateration (WAM), with particular attention to the Niger Delta and other areas where conventional radar has limitations.
The technology is designed to provide wider surveillance coverage and more timely information on aircraft movements, giving air traffic controllers a clearer picture of activities within the airspace.
NAMA said space-based ADS-B will extend surveillance beyond the limits of traditional ground-based radar, while WAM will use signals from aircraft transponders received at multiple ground locations to determine aircraft positions.
The agency said the systems will improve the accuracy and reliability of aircraft monitoring, support earlier detection of potential incidents and provide air traffic controllers with better information for managing flights.
The focus on the Niger Delta is significant because the region has a high concentration of low-level helicopter operations, particularly those supporting activities in the oil and gas industry. NAMA had previously identified the need for improved surveillance in the region as flight activity increased.Â
Farouk Ahmed Umar Nama’s managing director and chief executive officer, said the agency was committed to adopting technologies that meet international standards and improving its infrastructure and human capacity.
The surveillance project is part of the wider modernisation programme at NAMA. The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development said in April that the agency was working on upgrades covering aeronautical information services, control tower infrastructure, voice communication systems and the deployment of space-based ADS-B.
In February, Farouk also said NAMA was working on the implementation of space-based ADS-B and WAM deployment in the Niger Delta as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s surveillance and communication infrastructure.Â
The use of the two systems will complement existing surveillance infrastructure rather than replace conventional radar. Earlier NAMA explanations of the WAM project described multilateration as a system capable of improving monitoring of low-flying aircraft in the Niger Delta and supporting the management of manned and unmanned aircraft.
