NAMA Did Not Waste N7.58bn on Category 3 ILS

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has vehemently rejected a report alleging that it wasted N7.58 billion on Category 3 Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) for Lagos and Abuja airports. While NAMA acknowledges the value of public scrutiny, the agency strongly disputes the report's factual inaccuracies and technical misconceptions.

The approved contract for the installation of CAT III-capable ILS and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) for Lagos and Abuja was N1,188,139,913.90, not the inflated figure of N7.58 billion reported. This figure was derived from a 2019 estimate that assumed $3 million per runway and extrapolated across seven proposed airport locations, neither of which applied to the approved contract for Lagos and Abuja.

The procurement was specifically for CAT III-capable ILS/DME ground equipment, not merely an ILS antenna. Installing this equipment does not automatically make an airport CAT III operational, as it requires a comprehensive integrated system. The report also overlooks the operational history of Lagos Runway 18R, where pilots experienced issues with the CAT III system and subsequently used Runway 18L.

NAMA engaged stakeholders and replaced the equipment with CAT II capability, which was later calibrated and passed requisite checks. The problems with the CAT III system began at installation and persisted until the International Air Transport Association (IATA) raised safety concerns. NAMA's operational records reveal that both Lagos and Abuja facilities were commissioned, certified, and operational in February 2020 after realignment, recalibration, and validation, contradicting the claim that the systems "never worked for one day."