The Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently gave its approval for a number of major projects aimed at updating Nigeria’s aviation facilities and significantly boosting both air safety and the dependability of communication. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced these approvals following the FEC meeting led by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. Keyamo confirmed the upgrade of remote-controlled Very High Frequency (VHF) radio systems with the objective of improving communication dependability between pilots and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) to strengthen air safety. These crucial VHF radio systems, necessary for seamless communication throughout all flight stages, will be upgraded or replaced at nine major airport locations: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Abuja, Kano, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Wukari, and a second site in Abuja. The FEC also authorized the installation of an Aeronautical Frequency Monitoring and Interference Detection System to improve communication integrity and lessen the risk of miscommunication between pilots and ground controllers by monitoring frequencies and identifying interference. Furthermore, the FEC endorsed the implementation of Advanced Surface Movement Guidance Systems (A-SMGS) to enhance operational efficiency and safety, especially in poor visibility, by offering air traffic controllers continuous surveillance of aircraft and vehicles on the airport movement area. The deployment of Biometric-Enabled E-Gates at all international airports was also approved to streamline passenger processing and overall operational efficiency. Minister Keyamo stressed that these initiatives are part of a wider, coordinated effort to guarantee safer and more efficient air travel across the nation.
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