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FACTS ON THE TOTAL RADAR COVERAGE OF THE NIGERIAN AIRSPACE (TRACON), PROJECT
·  The Total Radar coverage of the Nigerian Airspace (TRACON) which is aimed at the provision of total radar coverage for the Nigerian Airspace to enhance civil and military surveillance of aircraft operating into the Nigerian Airspace was awarded by the Federal Executive Council in the year 2003 with a completion period of 36 months.
· A contract was then signed between NAMA and Thales S.A of France, under the auspices of the Ministry at a total sum of €66,500,870.
· TRACON comprises of 4 primary and 5 secondary Radar co-located in Nnamdi Azikiwe, Murtala Mohammed, Mlam Aminu Kano & Port Harcourt International Airports. It has provision for 5 stand-alone Secondary Surveillance Radar to be located in Talata Mafara, Maiduguri, Numan, Obura & Ilorin.
· The international airports will have a combination of Primary and secondary Radar and Lagos will have a simulator centre for on-the –job training of Air Traffic Controllers & Engineers. Equipment in each location will be housed in a Control centre equipped with displays.
· The architecture of TRACON comprise of Voice Communication Systems, Voice Recording Systems, VHF transceivers, Fiber Optic, Display Console’s, Integrated aircraft billing systems and spares.
· The Primary Surveillance Radar has coverage of 65 Nautical Miles while the Secondary Surveillance Radar has range of 250 Nautical Miles. The aim is for the coverage areas to over-lap and provide total coverage.
· TRACON works by intercepting signals emitted from moving aircraft which is relayed back to the Area Control Centre’s for the use by the Air Traffic Control Personnel in identification and monitoring of aircraft movement
· Part of the reasons for the delay started from inception of the project through several interferences in the original scope. These range from removal of the Primary Radar, Mode of Payment ,Phasing of the project, increase in the number of simulator training sites (from 1 to 40), construction of a new Area Control /Approach Radar building (rather than refurbishment). Delayed disbursement of funds resulting in missing the project milestones and even out-right stall in the project.
· NAMA with the support of the Ministry has secured a commitment from Thales S.A. To complete the project before the end of the year: 2009.
· Delays in project execution commenced when the initial payment structure of 25% down payment and 75% Letter of Credit could not be met due to the inability of NAMA to find finances. It had to then resort to the Federal Government and the process of transferring the project to Government took considerable time.
· The next delay associated with the project occurred when a previous Management expunged the Primary Surveillance Radar from the project in the year 2004 culminating in a delay of several months.
· These actions led to the loss of the year 2005 and 2006 budgetary allocation which translated into the non-manufacture of the components of the project for these years.
· The third delay was for a period of 15months when another Management proposed the cancellation of TRACON and its replacement with a little tested system called Multilateration.
· These delays, combined, cost of the nation over three years of inactivity (the entire period of the contract) because the Company could not manufacture during the period.
· About 65 Air Traffic Controllers and more than 30 Engineers have been trained on the use of TRACON.
· It is believed that the completion of this project will enhance air safety in Nigeria.
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