FEC approves N13bn for automation of Lagos and Abuja airports, two others

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N13billion for the automation of safety equipment at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and three other airports in the country.

The other airports are the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Port Harcourt International Airport.

The council also approved $3.1bn for the automation of the Nigeria Customs Service operations.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and his Finance, Budget and National Planning counterpart, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Sirika expressed optimism that the safe tower projects, when completed, would increase efficiency and reduce the workload of air controllers in the affected airports.

He said: “Today, civil aviation submitted a memorandum to the council which was consequently approved.

“The memo is to upgrade and refurbish the safe tower equipment in four airports – Lagos, Kano, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

“This is just to increase the efficiency of the airports and reduce the workload in the control tower and to automate what were hitherto analog systems to digital.

“Quick example is all of the data we collect at the end of the runways within the airports will now be displayed instantly on our platform in the control tower.”