The Federal Executive Council has approved N23.9 billion for the procurement of equipment for some airports across the country.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed made the disclosure while briefing State House Correspondents, at the end of Wednesday’s meeting of the council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister said the equipment to be procured include radio communication systems for some control towers and instrument landing systems for some airports.
He said: “The Minister of Aviation presented two memos, one was for the award of contract for the upgrade of twelve airports tower voice communication and control system radio for twelve airports located in Akure, Benin, Calabar, Ibadan, Ilorin, Jos, Minna, Owerri, Sokoto, Yola, Kaduna and Enugu.
“The contract was for the sum of N9.988 billion with a completion period of 13 months. As you are aware, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA has a statutory mandate to enhance safety and security of the Nigerian airspace and it is in line with this that it sought to upgrade 12 air control towers voice and communication control systems.”
Mohammed said the communication tower had to be upgraded because the ones currently in use have aged and also to enhance better performance in the twelve airports in conferment with technological advancements and aviation industry’s best practices.
He added that N14 billion was approved for the procurement of instrument landing systems for Lagos Abuja, Katsina and Port-harcourt airports.
“The Ministry of Aviation also sought and obtained approval for the award of contract fir the procurement and installation of air field lighting category three instrument landing systems in Lagos, Abuja, Katsina and Port-harcourt airports.
“This has to do with safety. The memo was approved and the contract was awarded in the sum of 14, 036, 000, 000. This is in a bid to carry out the statutory mandate of developing and managing all relevant aviation services for safe, secure and efficient carriage of passengers and goods,” he said.
He also said the move was necessitated by the recent increase in the fleet of passengers across the four airports.
