By Linus Aleke
As part of effort to guarantee safety of air travel in Nigeria, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGoF), on Wednesday said that plans are underway to synergize with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in order to produce charts that will enhance air safety.
To this end, the Acting Surveyor-General of the Federation (SGoF), Surv. Abuduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin and his management team met with a 3-man delegation from NAMA at the Survey House, Abuja to conclude formalities and arrangements for the assignment.
Head of Press and Public Relations, OSGoF, Mr. Abu Michael made this disclosure in a statement in Abuja.
Saying that the assignment is a national assignment, Surv. Adebomehin emphasized the need for the surveyors from OSGoF that would work together with the technical staff of NAMA to see it as a very important project so as to produce charts and maps that would guarantee the safety and security of aircraft and their passengers.
He said OSGoF has the capacity to provide the best of charts and maps which would also be made available to stakeholders for improved Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the Nigerian Government.
Expressing concerns over the huge financial demands on the government by various sectors of the economy, he maintained that OSGoF would henceforth produce such charts and maps as well as provide geospatial services to discourage unnecessary financial outflows.
The leader of the NAMA delegation, Asifat S. Badmus, a Deputy General Manager explained that the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are important for the safety of lives and for flights hence the VFR inform charts to provide directions, and locations.
He also noted that it will help pilots fo quick identification of hills and mountains, bodies of water and other physical features for easy navigation.
Badmus said the importance of charts and maps for air travels cannot be overemphasized hence OSGoF as the apex surveying and mapping institution of the country would always be required to provide the base and positioning for better air traffic services.
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NAMA according to him needs updated topographical maps and charts as well as the data from OSGoF to function.
Collaboration with OSGoF would help NAMA provide charts that would meet the International Civil Aviation (ICAO) standards, which would be accepted worldwide.
OSGoF has designated Surv. Azeez Afeez, Surv. Izuegbu O. Uju and Surv. Alamu Abayomi Samsideen to work with NAMA technical team for the production of charts and maps required for air services.
