NAMA trains 15 ATCs oncombined approach/enroute surveillance course

AS part of efforts to boost capacity of existing manpower in Air Traffic Management for the implementation of Performance Based Navigation (PBN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has embarked on the training of 15 Air Traffic Controllers on a combined Terminal Approach Surveillance Radar/Area Airways Surveillance Radar course at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.
The said combined course, which is making its debut in Nigeria, commenced on Monday, the 28th of September, 2015 and is scheduled to last for 10 weeks. Before this time, the two courses were taken separately by the college while Air Traffic Controllers were trained abroad at heavy cost to the agency for the combined course.
In a statement, the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, noted that the combined radar course, which is another milestone in Nigerian aviation, became possible as fallout of the MOU signed recently with NCAT and it is in keeping with the Federal Government policy on training, stressing that “this innovation, therefore, is targeted at reducing cost to the agency as well as shortening the time lag between both trainings as On-the-Job-Training (OJT) for the two courses would be done sequentially as against when they used to be run separately.”
The NAMA boss revealed that there are 40 Air Traffic Controllers presently undergoing the Basic Air Traffic Control Course at NCAT Zaria in 2 batches to last till 2016, just as arrangements have been concluded for another set of 15 Air Traffic Controllers to proceed for the combined Approach/Enroute Surveillance Radar Course after the present batch graduates. He explained further that some experienced field officers are also being sent to the NCAT to help in monitoring the progress of training in the college.
Abdulsalam charged participants to justify the huge investment NAMA was making in human capital development by showing commitment and dedication to their studies with the aim of supporting management in building a more robust and seamless Air Traffic Management system in Nigeria, stressing that “our commitment remains to develop adequate manpower capacity as a major requirement for the implementation of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) in Nigeria.”