The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has explained that following the fire incident which destroyed it’s equipment, it will soon install the mobile control tower but there has to be safety measures put in place before it completes the installation.

The agency assured that the mobile control tower is ready for deployment and is expected to be positioned within days upon completion of the mandatory curing period.

It however noted that installation of aviation control infrastructure cannot be undertaken in a hurried or improvised manner, adding that such facilities must comply with strict engineering and operational standards designed to safeguard aircraft operations.

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Following the recent fire incident at the Aerodrome Control Tower of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NAMA immediately activated contingency measures to ensure the uninterrupted provision of air navigation services. As part of these measures, the Agency initiated arrangements for the deployment of a Mobile Control Tower to serve as a temporary operational facility while restoration efforts on the main tower continue.

In a statement by Abdullahi Musa
Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection he said to commence its installation, the location chosen for the Mobile Control Tower must provide optimal visual coverage of the runway, taxiways and other critical portions of the airfield.

This requirement, Musa said is essential to enable air traffic controllers maintain effective situational awareness in managing aircraft movements on the ground and within the aerodrome environment.

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“Secondly, the identified location required excavation and structural casting to create a firm and stable foundation capable of supporting the tower infrastructure. Aviation installations demand structural stability to avoid any operational or safety risk.

“Engineering standards further require that the casting be allowed to cure for a minimum of twenty-one days before any heavy structure can be mounted on it. This curing period is a critical technical process intended to prevent cracks, instability or structural failure that could compromise the installation.

“Indeed, when NAMA initially prepared to deploy the mobile tower, the project contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), advised that the installation should not proceed until the foundation had fully settled, warning that premature deployment could damage the structure and undermine the entire work,” Musa explained.

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He noted that in the overriding interest of safety and in line with global engineering standards, NAMA adhered to this professional advice, adding that air traffic control services at MMIA have remained uninterrupted.

He said as an interim arrangement, the Fire Service Tower has been effectively utilized for Aerodrome Control operations pending the installation of the Mobile Tower.

Furthermore, the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) has been fully restored and remains operational, with Aeronautical Information Service personnel currently working from the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) complex, he added.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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