WOLE SHADARE 
Wole Shadare
Nigeria’s air traffic shortage may be a thing of the past as more than 100 controllers are to be engaged, this is coming as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has concluded plans to arrest the dearth of air traffic controllers as the agency is set to recruit additional controllers.
According to the agency, about 40 controller cadets are undergoing training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria in a bid to fill the expected vacuum in the next six years.
Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok made the disclosure at the weekend at the 51st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), held in Ibadan, Oyo State
According to Pwajok, the management had envisaged a gap in the number of ATCOs and had put in place a plan to recruit at least 100 personnel between 2022 and 2028.
The proliferation of aerodromes across the country has been attributed to the dearth of air traffic controllers in the nation’s aviation industry.
Nigeria currently has over 26 airports and continuous building of airports by state governors would continue to overstretch the few air traffic controllers, as most of the facilities are handed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and NAMA, despite the low traffic they record