Nigeria May Ban Flight Operations to Obudu

Following the disappearance of Beechcraft 1900D aircraft belonging to Wings Aviation, flight operations to Bebi Airstrip in Obudu Cattle Ranch may be put on hold.

The Wings Aviation turboprop plane was headed for the ranch to convey the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, to Abuja when it was discovered missing along with the three crew members on board.

Sources said the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had last month warned aviation authorities about Bebi airstrip, saying it was not safe. NAMA was said to have advised that flight operations into the airstrip should be stopped until there are air traffic services at the field.

The military aircraft that crashed in Benue State close to Obudu Ranch on August 17, 2006, killing about 14 military officers and the March 15 disappearance of Wings Aviation aircraft, sources said, had confirmed the fears raised in March 2005 by former minister of Aviation, Mallam Isa Yuguda, who is now the Governor of Bauchi State, that flying to the area was dangerous with the absence of air traffic services.

Read More...

Nigeria's Wings Aviation recently lost an entire airplane, similar to an event earlier, although not as severe, in which an oil tanker was reported missing. This time, however, there is an explanation given. The destination of the plane was "not safe," for some unknown reason. The idea of an airport being hijacked may seem implausible to citezens of the US, but we must remember that the airports in Nigeria are nowhere near as devloped or frequented as thos in the US. This unsafe airport is a very understandable event, but it is still a bad sign of Nigeria's security.

Grade This Post.

Four Airports for Concessioning

THE greenlight has been given by the Federal Government for the concessioning of four international airports.

The nod, according to the Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation), Mr. Felix Hassan Hyatt, is to ensure that their facilities are updated to international standards.

To be concessioned are Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport and Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

But Hyatt who announced the approval yesterday said the planned concessioning would only involve the upgrading and use of facilities while "security remains in the hands of government".

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent decision to concession four of Nigeria's airports. These airports include Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport and Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. The government has made the decision to make attempts to upgrade the facilities; however, the government plans to maintain control of the security aspects of airports. President Yar'Adua is planning on making the Nigerian airports equivalent to many international airports with the hopes that this will be accomplished within five years. Yar'Adua plans to get approval from many different facets of the government before any action is taken. This shows that the President is attempting to make sure that everyone is informed and behind what is occurring in the nation. This idea could be considered an attempt to maintain or gain legitimacy in the nation by insuring that the people are aware of what is occurring within their own country. Yar'Adua is aiming for "transparency" in the government which will enable the citizens of Nigeria to be informed to the greatest extent.

GRADE THIS POST

World Bank Okays N1.2b to Upgrade Nigeria's Airports

POOR infrastructure at most Nigerian airports will be addressed with a N1.2 billion ($10 million) World Bank facility.


The bulk of the money, according to sources in the Federal Ministry of Transportation Aviation, would be used to upgrade infrastructure and navigational aids at the airports.


The project will be supervised by World Bank officials.


Already, a Nigerian consultant has been appointed to manage the advertisement for bidders for the execution of the projects.


The project, when completed, will help to provide basic necessities at the four major airports in the country, which have suffered near neglect, and whose facilities are obsolete.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent decision to allocate funds to better the Nigerian airports so that they will be of the most benefit to the citizens of Nigeria. This allocation of funds shows the drive of Nigeria to become more industrialized and modern which can allow for greater competition with other nations throughout the world.

GRADE THIS POST