THE €65 million (N13.3 billion) Total Rader Covergae of Nigeria (TRACON) project, may soon be listed among the major scams rocking the nation’s aviation sector, as an industry expert has faulted the expenditure profile.
The United Kingdom-based Nigerian aviation expert, Captain Dung Pam, disclosed that the project was at least 500 per cent costlier than that of Namibia, which was completed with just $14 million (N2.3 billion).
Nigeria and Namibia completed total radar coverage of their respective airspaces in 2011.
Pam, who is also the President of the Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative, an industry pressure group, stressed that authorities must be held accountable for their actions and decisions if Nigeria hopes to achieve a considerable level of safety in the aviation sector.
He spoke with reporters at a news conference, adding that it was illogical for Nigeria, which has almost the same land area with Namibia, to spend €65 million to put its approximately 923000 square kilometres land area on the radar, while Namibia spent just $14 million to accomplish same feat on its 825,000 square kilometres land area.
The pilot said the situation became worrisome due to the fact that the project was done for the two countries by the same French company, Thales of France.
He said: “Namibia has almost the size of airspace with Nigeria. The same company, Thales of France gave Namibia in three years full ADFC wide area multilateration. But the amount of money Namibia used to accomplish the project is less than one quarter of what Nigeria paid. It will be counter- productive if conflicting strategies are being implemented simultaneously by different interested parties in the region.
He further explained, “Thales of France recently completed airspace upgrade for two African countries. Nigeria has spent over €65 million within eight years from 2003 to 2011 to procure an inefficient surface radar programme for its 923,000 square kilometre airspace.
“Namibia having spent less spend less than $14m within three years January 2009 till December 2011 has launched a more sophisticated wide area multi-lateration surveillance system for its airspace of 825,000 square kilometres.”
But the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) rose in stout defence of the expenditure profile, stressing that the multi billion radar project delivered co-located PR-MSSR, Air Traffic Management System including Simulator and VSAT network, fibre optics, Generators, AVRs, UPS and civil works at nine sites for 67 million euros.
Spokesman for the agency, Supo Atobatele, in a statement recently, said “new technologies like ADS-B, ADS-C and MLAT are all complementary and not meant to replace the radar.
Though they are cheaper at deployment but the aircraft need to have enhanced equip- page in terms of transponders and other compatible avionics.”
He said it is quite absurd and preposterous comparing what the TRACON project delivered with a project on ADS-C, stressing, It’s like comparing an apple with orange.”
“You only compare cost of similar projects and not dissimilar ones. If we chose to implement ADS-B, it will just serve as an overlay on the TRACON as the Eurocat Air Traffic Management System is not only ADS-B compatible, we also have the servers (ADS-B) already installed as AGDPs in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt,” he added.
He explained that Nigeria “is on the right path as far as airspace infrastructure is concerned. We just need to sustain the tempo, stay focused and we will get there.”
But Pam noted that “obviously, Namibia made a more sensible and future plans, hinting that it is arguable that the buyer always have the final decision and choice.”
If you look at it, the same consultant that they have the same type of equipment that they are trying to buy and we paid €65 million and it took us eight years. But three months ago Namibia ATC were there and what they have is ADFC while we have ADFB so these are the kind of things that are happening. It is worth knowing that without pressure to be accountable and transparent, this sort of things will continue to happen in the industry.”
“Namibia completed its project in three years, whereas Nigerian did hers in eight years.”
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91218:nama-expert-differ-on-nigerias-65m-radar-project&catid=31:business&Itemid=562
The United Kingdom-based Nigerian aviation expert, Captain Dung Pam, disclosed that the project was at least 500 per cent costlier than that of Namibia, which was completed with just $14 million (N2.3 billion).
Nigeria and Namibia completed total radar coverage of their respective airspaces in 2011.
Pam, who is also the President of the Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative, an industry pressure group, stressed that authorities must be held accountable for their actions and decisions if Nigeria hopes to achieve a considerable level of safety in the aviation sector.
He spoke with reporters at a news conference, adding that it was illogical for Nigeria, which has almost the same land area with Namibia, to spend €65 million to put its approximately 923000 square kilometres land area on the radar, while Namibia spent just $14 million to accomplish same feat on its 825,000 square kilometres land area.
The pilot said the situation became worrisome due to the fact that the project was done for the two countries by the same French company, Thales of France.
He said: “Namibia has almost the size of airspace with Nigeria. The same company, Thales of France gave Namibia in three years full ADFC wide area multilateration. But the amount of money Namibia used to accomplish the project is less than one quarter of what Nigeria paid. It will be counter- productive if conflicting strategies are being implemented simultaneously by different interested parties in the region.
He further explained, “Thales of France recently completed airspace upgrade for two African countries. Nigeria has spent over €65 million within eight years from 2003 to 2011 to procure an inefficient surface radar programme for its 923,000 square kilometre airspace.
“Namibia having spent less spend less than $14m within three years January 2009 till December 2011 has launched a more sophisticated wide area multi-lateration surveillance system for its airspace of 825,000 square kilometres.”
But the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) rose in stout defence of the expenditure profile, stressing that the multi billion radar project delivered co-located PR-MSSR, Air Traffic Management System including Simulator and VSAT network, fibre optics, Generators, AVRs, UPS and civil works at nine sites for 67 million euros.
Spokesman for the agency, Supo Atobatele, in a statement recently, said “new technologies like ADS-B, ADS-C and MLAT are all complementary and not meant to replace the radar.
Though they are cheaper at deployment but the aircraft need to have enhanced equip- page in terms of transponders and other compatible avionics.”
He said it is quite absurd and preposterous comparing what the TRACON project delivered with a project on ADS-C, stressing, It’s like comparing an apple with orange.”
“You only compare cost of similar projects and not dissimilar ones. If we chose to implement ADS-B, it will just serve as an overlay on the TRACON as the Eurocat Air Traffic Management System is not only ADS-B compatible, we also have the servers (ADS-B) already installed as AGDPs in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt,” he added.
He explained that Nigeria “is on the right path as far as airspace infrastructure is concerned. We just need to sustain the tempo, stay focused and we will get there.”
But Pam noted that “obviously, Namibia made a more sensible and future plans, hinting that it is arguable that the buyer always have the final decision and choice.”
If you look at it, the same consultant that they have the same type of equipment that they are trying to buy and we paid €65 million and it took us eight years. But three months ago Namibia ATC were there and what they have is ADFC while we have ADFB so these are the kind of things that are happening. It is worth knowing that without pressure to be accountable and transparent, this sort of things will continue to happen in the industry.”
“Namibia completed its project in three years, whereas Nigerian did hers in eight years.”
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91218:nama-expert-differ-on-nigerias-65m-radar-project&catid=31:business&Itemid=562
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