The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) plans to conduct a mock exercise on volcanic eruption for the recertification of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
This is in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
NAMA General Manager at NAIA, Mr. Robinson Baazo, told newsmen in Abuja on Thursday that “we want to practice how to handle volcanic eruptions and how it affects aviation basically.
“Some years ago, there was a volcanic eruption in neighboring Cameroon.
“Not too long ago, there was a volcanic eruption in the Congo Democratic Republic at Kinshasa; about two weeks ago, there was a volcanic eruption at La Palma in Spain.
“Basically, volcanic eruptions affect aviation tremendously when there is earth eruption in the air,’’ he said.
He lamented the paucity of funds, which he said, had restricted the acquisition of basic equipment and limited the effectiveness and efficiency of NAMA.
Baazo said, however, that there had been great improvements in Nigeria’s aviation sector compared to developments six years ago.
He said there had been improvements in facilities and stakeholders now adhered more to aviation laws.
Mr. Macel Onwuakpe, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, at the airport also said that ICAO normally carried out career audits on airports within their contracting states every five years.
He added that ICAO could no longer wait for five years more before conducting its inspection.
“ICAO conducts its `Continuous Validation Monitoring’ in less than two years, even in less than a year interval.
“Nigeria has never conducted mock exercise or mock drill on volcanic eruptions and it has decided to close that gap in 2021 by organizing a mock volcanic eruption exercise,’’ he noted.
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He said NAMA would call for stakeholders’ meetings and conduct workshops to prepare for the exercise.
“The workshops and stakeholders meeting coming up on Oct. 6 is to create awareness and sensitize people about the impact of volcanic eruptions on aviation itself,’’ Onwuakpe said.
