The on-going installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the airsides of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja has reached between 85 and 90 per cent completion stage.
This is as Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) would declare open the forthcoming Airport Council International (ACI) to be hosted by Nigeria.
Henrietta Yakubu, the general manager, Corporate Communications of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed this to aviation reporters at the agency’s office at the Lagos Airport.
Yakubu pointed out that the on-going installation of the CCTV Cameras at the airsides of the two airports in the first phase would further improve security at the airports, adding that FAAN would continue to improve on safety and security of humans and equipment at all airports across the country.
She explained that after the completion of the installation of the equipment at Lagos and Abuja in the first phase, FAAN would move to Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu Airports for the second phase.
She added that the agency had trained its security personnel on the handling of the equipment and assured that security would be better enhanced at the nation’s airports with the usage of the equipment.
“On the security, we have done a lot and the CCTV cameras are being installed at the airside. We have improved on illumination around our airsides. Right now, safety audits are on-going at the Port Harcourt Airport, Enugu and Kano Airports. The essence of this is to ensure that we are adhering to the standards set,” Yakubu said.
“At the moment, we have reached about 85 to 90 per cent completion stage. We are doing it in phases. In fact, we are mounting it at MMIA, Abuja in the first phase simultaneously and after this, we will go to Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu Airports.
“The project has been on for a long time even before the issue of alleged incursions into the airports. It is just that we are facilitating and we want to ensure that it is done within the shortest period. Our security staff have been trained on how to monitor the equipment and others within the airports.”
On the forthcoming ACI Africa conference, Yakubu declared that FAAN would use the opportunity to open up the aviation sector to internal and external investors.
She explained that Mustapha would declare open the conference while Hadi Sirika, Minister of State for Aviation, Bernard Aliu, President of Council, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and Angela Gittens, Director-General li Tounsi, ACI World would also be in attendant.
She added: “We are expecting experts to come with their wealth of ideas that will help us to move our airports from just being a government entity to more viable airports and the ones that can declare profit.
“The Ease of Doing business too has helped us to move forward as we showcase our potential and activities. The ease of doing business has helped us to collapse several formalities in checking the passengers, we don’t have too many checks at the airports any longer, but that does not stop us from still doing the security check.”
IFEOMA OKEKE
