The Federal government will install satellite equipment to improve communication at the nation’s airports by 2017.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conference on Aviation Safety in Africa, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said the procurement and installation were part of the automation upgrade to be carried out in airports across the country.
Senator Sirika told reporters that the equipment would assist the National Emergency Management Agency with relevant data for search and rescue operations.
“As you might be aware, few years ago we embarked on a project for the provision of a new aeronautical telecommunication network under the A.I.S. Automation project.
“The primary objective of the project is to automate our aeronautical information management system, develop a new communication backbone with a network at all Nigerian airports, as well as at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency’s headquarters and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency for search and rescue coordination.
“The project has delivered a centralised aeronautical database that is currently being populated with data that will enhance seamless integration with other states of the regional databases,” she said.
The Minister further explained that the first phase of this project was scheduled for completion in 11 locations shortly after Christmas this year while the remaining 15 locations would be completed in the coming financial year.
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