Nigeria’s Aviation Minister Seeks Foreign Partnerships for Runway Construction, other Aviation Infrastructure
The Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has led a high-profile delegation to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, to secure advanced aviation equipment and forge critical partnerships for the ongoing construction of a second runway at Abuja airport and bolstering other aviation infrastructure.
The delegation, comprising key figures from Nigeria’s aviation sector, included the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar; the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Prof. Charles Anosike; and the Director of Engineering at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr. Abiola Adejare.
This visit was facilitated by Georg Eder MBA, Managing Director of Avsatel, and his deputy, Engr. Abdullahi Bayi, along with KEFE Engineering Limited’s Chief Consultant on Airfield Lighting (AFL), NavAids, Communications, and Meteorology, Engr. Mohammed Sodiq.
The first leg of the tour took the Nigerian delegation to Helsinki, Finland, where they conducted a detailed inspection of the weather radar system at Helsinki Airport.
This was followed by a comprehensive meeting with the senior management of Vaisala OYJ, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of meteorological equipment.
During their visit to Vaisala, the Nigerian delegation was provided with an in-depth overview of the company’s expertise, covering areas such as Automatic Weather Observing Systems (AWOS), Runway Visual Range (RVR) systems, Windshear Alert Systems, Weather Radar Integration, Lightning Information Integration, and Runway Management solutions.
A guided tour of the meteorological equipment at Helsinki Airport offered the delegation valuable insights into the cutting-edge technology and operational efficiency of Vaisala’s systems.
The delegation’s mission continued in Vienna, Austria, where they met with the management team of Frequentis AG, a global leader in voice communication and control systems for air traffic management.
The delegation was briefed by Dr. Bernd Novak, Vice President and Head of Global Sales Group for Frequentis AG, who presented an overview of their state-of-the-art Voice Communications Switch technology.
Following this presentation, NAMA’s MD, Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar, and NiMET’s DG, Prof. Charles Anosike, engaged in discussions focused on the importance of synchronising weather and radar applications on a unified software platform.
This integration is anticipated to significantly enhance the safety and operational effectiveness of air traffic management and weather forecasting within Nigeria.
Reflecting on the visit, Minister Festus Keyamo emphasised the critical importance of these partnerships, stating, “This visit is a crucial step in ensuring that our aviation infrastructure is equipped with the latest technologies to enhance safety and efficiency.
“The partnerships we are forging with industry leaders like Vaisala and Frequentis AG are vital for the successful implementation of our projects, such as the Abuja second runway.”
The tour was covered and reported by Tunde Moshood, SA Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
