The federal government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is currently working on measures to improve the security of the nation’s airports with the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software for identifications.
Director of Aviation Security Services at the FAAN, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP retired), Afegbai Albert Igbafe, disclosed that the equipment will help the agency tightened access into the aerodromes and prevent dangerous weapons and equipment from gaining access into the airports.
He said FAAN, in collaboration with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo are looking at proposals already presented by companies for checks and monitoring of movements at the airports.
Speaking with airport correspondents in Lagos, Igbafe said “we are looking at some companies who have made propositions and we are going to do the access control, and the access control will work with an Artificial Intelligence system. Whereby when somebody is coming into the airport, there is a way the camera can affixed to you. If you have any weapons with you, if you have anything that is with you, the AI will detect it and immediately send a signal to the command center. We are working on that.
He said FAAN is putting a lot of measures in place to ensure it closes the gaps identified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) during the last security audit carried out at the country’s airports affirming that those gaps will be fixed.
The retired police officer lamented that issue of unwarranted intrusions at the airports remains a major concern to the airports management authority adding that FAAN witnesses between 20 and 30 intrusions each night as a result of damage airport fence by dwellers in communities surrounding most of the airports.
He stated that, “A lot of the fencing has been destroyed by the neighbouring communities. I will tell you there is a big challenge because we will get as many as 20 to 30 intruders every night. And the problem we are having is our court system. When we hand them over to the police before we know they are released. The Legal Department of FAAN is collaborating with the Attorney General of the state to help us get mobile courts so these things will be handled swiftly.”