The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency said on Wednesday that its air-to-ground communications equipment was totally damaged by the fire that consumed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport's Old Terminal on Monday.

However, Umar Farouk, the managing director of NAMA, stated that in order to maintain operations in Lagos, backup systems had been installed at the airport.

After visiting the plant to evaluate the extent of the fire's destruction, he told reporters that he was still unable to estimate the loss.

His words: “The fire has affected our air-to-ground communication completely. What you see on ground to sustain air traffic service is the backup that we moved from other places to sustain Lagos. The truth of the matter is that with what I have seen, we have a lot to do when we are out of the situation. It is going to be very difficult for me to tell the magnitude of the loss, it will take us a while to do so.

"This incidence was reported while we were in a management meeting. I sent the engineering and operations directors right away to come and have a look. In actuality, we witnessed a significant breakdown in communication. Air traffic services were severely interrupted as well.

"At this time, we have to stop planes from reaching Lagos. Fortunately, though, the Director of Operations was there, and the situation we found ourselves in was promptly resolved.
We are pleased to report that air control and communication are still operating normally. And the reason for this is that NAMA is full of experts who are always prepared to handle this kind of regrettable situation. Because we value safety above everything else, I want to reassure Nigerians and the flying public that Nigerian airspace is still safe.

"We are working to improve on what we have done thus far, and I am glad that no lives were lost. I want to reassure Nigerians that there will be continuous air-to-ground communications.