Ghana does not manage Nigeria’s airspace—GCAA

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, GCAA, has denied reports that Ghana manages the airspace of Nigeria over the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the GCAA, Ghana only manages the airspace of Togo and Benin.

Deputy Director General, Finance and Administration of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority Abdullai Alhassan, disclosed that International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, has sent a delegation to Nigeria to ascertain the truth concerning President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation to take over the security of the nation’s airspace over the Gulf of Guinea from Ghana.

Alhassan said: “At the international civil aviation level, they have sent the regional director to Nigeria to find out exactly what they mean because Ghana is not managing the airspace of Nigeria. Unlike Togo and Benin, where we manage their airspace, we do not know about the management of the Nigeria’s airspace.”

Alhassan disclosed that the IATA council is handling the issue and in fact they have even sent a delegation to Nigeria to ascertain the truth in the matter since they are all aware that Ghana does not manage the airspace of Nigeria.

The latest development follows reports that President Buhari has directed the Ministry of Aviation to take over from Ghana, the management of the Nigerian airspace in the Gulf of Guinea.

He is reported to have given the directive at the State House in Abuja last week while receiving a briefing from top officials of the ministry led by Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Binta Bello.

The permanent secretary later told State House journalists that Buhari ordered her ministry to begin the process of securing the management of the Nigerian airspace which, she noted, Ghana had been managing since 1945.

The permanent secretary said Togo and Benin Republic had equally concluded arrangements to take over their airspaces from Ghana.

“We have a directive by the president to start the process of securing the management of the Nigerian airspace over the Gulf of Guinea which Ghana has been maintaining since 1945, and there is a move on the ground by Togo and Republic of Benin to take over their own airspace from Ghana,” she said.