The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency has deployed a Mobile Control Tower at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following the recent fire incident that disrupted critical air-ground communication systems at the old terminal.
About three weeks ago, fire razed the Terminal 1 wing of the Murtala International Airport, destroying equipment and forcing the authority to condemn the aerodrome’s Control Tower.
Immediately, a temporary control room was activated and used to sustain flight operations for three weeks. For better air-to-ground services, NAMA has now installed a mobile control tower, a movable facility that will be used until the damage at the airport is fully addressed.
During an on-site inspection of the facility, NAMA’s Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services, Terese Ihenacho, described the deployment as a major operational breakthrough and a testament to the agency’s resilience in times of crisis.
Standing beside the newly installed tower, Ihenacho expressed confidence in its readiness, noting that the system had undergone rigorous testing and was fully prepared for immediate use.
She explained that beyond merely installing the equipment, NAMA engineers had gone a step further by modifying the system to suit Nigeria’s operational environment, ensuring it delivers optimal performance under local conditions.
She said, “As you can see, the Mobile Tower is fully operational and serviceable. All necessary test runs have been completed, and air traffic controllers are ready to commence operations at any moment.”
“The way it was manufactured is not the way we are using it. We have restructured it to suit our local peculiarities. There is now seamless connectivity to Centrex and TRACON, which did not exist before. This is part of our innovation to meet global standards.”
To further strengthen safety and operational redundancy, the agency disclosed plans to deploy a second Mobile Control Tower to service Runway 18R, a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted air traffic management even in emergencies.
Ihenacho, however, noted that the exact location for the additional tower would be carefully determined in collaboration with key aviation stakeholders, including air traffic controllers, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
According to her, the mobile tower project is part of a broader contingency strategy designed to guarantee continuity of operations during infrastructure failures, upgrades, or unforeseen disruptions affecting the main control tower.
At the temporary site, NAMA has also put in place critical support systems, including solar-powered lighting, reinforced structural fittings, backup power supply, and CCTV surveillance to enhance safety and security.
The agency is equally paying attention to the welfare of personnel working at the facility, with ongoing discussions to improve working conditions and provide essential amenities for air traffic controllers and technical staff.
Commending the workforce, Ihenacho described NAMA personnel as “heroes” who worked under difficult and risky conditions to restore normalcy at the airport.
