The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has rejected claims that it spent ₦7.58 billion on Category III Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) for Lagos and Abuja airports, putting the approved contract value for the equipment at ₦1.19 billion.
NAMA said the ₦1.188 billion contract covered the supply and installation of CAT III-capable ILS and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) ground systems for the two airports, while stressing that the availability of CAT III navigation equipment alone does not make an airport capable of operating Category III approaches.
The clarification comes amid questions over the removal of a CAT III-capable ILS previously installed on Runway 18R at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with the agency maintaining that the equipment was withdrawn after repeated technical failures raised safety concerns.
Teresa Ihenachor, NAMA’s director of safety electronic and engineering services, said the Lagos ILS had experienced persistent technical problems despite several attempts to repair the system.
According to her, the equipment was repaired more than seven times within a relatively short period but continued to malfunction, including instances in which it could provide unreliable guidance to aircraft during final approach or shut down completely.
She said the system had subsequently been downgraded from Category III to Category II, but its continued unreliability meant that keeping it in service posed an unacceptable safety concern.
The agency therefore deployed a NOMAC CAT II ILS as a replacement for the problematic Lagos equipment, with Ihenachor saying the replacement system remains functional.
NAMA also sought to distinguish between procuring CAT III-capable navigation equipment and having the infrastructure required to conduct CAT III operations.
The agency said Category III operations require a combination of reliable navigation equipment and supporting infrastructure, including dependable power supply, appropriate airfield lighting, runway visual range reporting, approved operational procedures and other supporting systems.
According to NAMA, the power requirement for CAT III operations at Lagos has been addressed through solar power, while responsibility for airfield lighting remains with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The agency said the Abuja installation had similarly been downgraded to CAT II because the supporting infrastructure required for full CAT III operations was not completely available.
NAMA’s position effectively separates the ₦1.19 billion equipment contract from the broader infrastructure requirements needed to achieve full CAT III operational capability at the airports.
With the Lagos equipment no longer considered suitable for continued operation and CAT III infrastructure not fully available at Abuja, NAMA said it is considering how best to deploy the equipment where it can provide operational value.
The agency is considering relocating some of the equipment to other airports where the required infrastructure and operational conditions are available.
Calabar is among the airports being considered for possible deployment, according to NAMA.
The agency said such a move would allow the CAT III-capable systems to be utilised more effectively rather than leaving equipment underused where supporting infrastructure is incomplete.
