Ken Okeke
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Monday, has hosted the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mahmud Adam Kambari, on a high-level familiarization visit to its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
The visit marked a significant step in deepening institutional synergy between the Ministry and FAAN, with a focus on advancing efficiency, sustainability, and service delivery across Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem. The engagement brought together FAAN’s top management, led by the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Olubunmi Kuku, alongside Directors and senior officials from the Ministry.
In a detailed presentation, the FAAN MD outlined the Authority’s operational framework, strategic priorities, and critical role in managing Nigeria’s passenger and cargo airport infrastructure. She provided insight into FAAN’s workforce capacity and acknowledged prevailing operational pressures, including pension obligations, financial reconciliations with the Ministry of Finance, rising energy costs, and evolving security demands requiring continuous personnel training and attitudinal reorientation.
Despite these constraints, Mrs. Kuku highlighted measurable progress across key performance areas, particularly in human capital development. She disclosed that thousands of personnel and stakeholders have benefited from targeted training programmes spanning aviation security, engineering, airport operations, safety, environmental management, and general capacity building, underscoring FAAN’s commitment to professionalism and global best practices.
The MD also emphasized improvements in passenger facilitation, enhanced staff welfare, and the positive cultural shift driven by the Authority’s Acculturalization Programme. She further announced the successful recertification of Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a milestone that reinforces FAAN’s adherence to international safety and security standards, as well as strengthened inter-agency collaboration.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary commended FAAN’s leadership for its resilience and reform-driven approach, while setting clear policy directions to enhance institutional performance. He called for the strengthening of FAAN’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework to unlock investment opportunities, improved transparency and efficiency in contract processes, and the professional certification of procurement personnel to align with global standards.
He further emphasized the importance of strategic workforce planning in line with fiscal realities and urged a comprehensive review of power generation and energy management models to ensure operational sustainability.
The visit concluded with an inspection tour of facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where the Permanent Secretary was briefed on ongoing projects and operational systems, providing first hand insight into FAAN’s infrastructure and service delivery environment.
The engagement reaffirms the shared commitment of the Ministry and FAAN to drive reforms, strengthen governance, and position Nigeria’s aviation sector for greater competitiveness and growth on the global stage.