Publication Drives NAMA To Provide Update On Delayed Deployment Of Mobile Control Tower
A newspaper report titled “Three Weeks After, NAMA Yet to Deploy Mobile Tower,” and dated March 13, 2026 has driven the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to provide an updated information on deployment of the towers which the authorities had during inspection of the fire incident at the Aerodrome Control Tower of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, indicated had been acquired and were on their way to Lagos.
A statement signed by NAMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Dr Abdullahi Musa says public concern about the delay “unfortunately overlooks critical technical and safety considerations that govern aviation infrastructure deployment.”
NAMA says following the fire incident, “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.
However, the installation of aviation control infrastructure cannot be undertaken in a hurried or improvised manner. Such facilities must comply with strict engineering and operational standards designed to safeguard aircraft operations.
First, 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 is essential to enable air traffic controllers maintain effective situational awareness in managing aircraft movements on the ground and within the aerodrome environment.
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.
In the overriding interest of safety and in line with global engineering standards, NAMA responsibly adhered to this professional advice. It is therefore inaccurate to interpret the waiting period as operational delay.
It is also important to state that air traffic control services at MMIA have remained uninterrupted. 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.
Contrary to the impression created in the publication, the Mobile Control Tower is ready for deployment and is expected to be positioned within days upon completion of the mandatory curing period.
NAMA remains firmly committed to the highest standards of aviation safety, professionalism and operational excellence. In aviation, safety is sacrosanct, and every decision taken by the agency is guided by global best practices and the paramount objective of ensuring safe and economic air navigation in Nigeria.
The public is therefore assured that the process underway at MMIA reflects diligence rather than delay, responsibility rather than hesitation, and above all, an uncompromising commitment to the safety of the Nigerian airspace.”Top of Form
