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Tag: FAAN

  • Violators of airport rules will face justice, FAAN vows

    Violators of airport rules will face justice, FAAN vows

    Violators of airport rules and anti-touting regulations will soon be subjected to instant justice as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has concluded plans to situate magistrate courts in airport premises across the country.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, made this known during the meeting held between FAAN management and heads of security agencies at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

    The meeting was organised to intimate airport stakeholders on recent happenings at the airport, educate them on the strategic goals of the current management, and discuss ways of enhancing passenger-experience and facilitation.

     The MD/CE identified the presence of touts and loitering by members of the public as a major challenge to making genuine airport users comfortable.

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    “There are people who have absolutely no business being at the airport, and they continue to create issues for us,” she said. “We have an anti-touting taskforce, and as it is, we are going to start the prosecution onsite of those engaging in these illicit activities or loitering around the airport environment and harassing passengers This doesn’t happen elsewhere around the world, and the airport should be a safe space.”

    She said the authority was aware of car hire operators violating processes and protocol and warned that such behaviour would no longer be tolerated.

    Mrs Kuku reiterated the need to reduce manual baggage search at the international wing of the airport. She said a process would be put in place where baggage will go through screening  machines, and security officials will view the contents real-time and only pull aside luggage that requires secondary screening.

    “We have to streamline our efforts. We need to improve processes at the airport. This is the 21st century, and we must keep up with the times,” she said.

    The MD/CE further announced that with the pace of ongoing work, the Terminal C of the NAIA would be ready for use by December 2024. She added that more work would be done to develop more international routes to take advantage of the International Terminal, which she described as “extremely under-utilised.”

    The Military Airport Commander, NAIA, Air Force Group Captain Abbas Hashim, on behalf of the other security agencies, thanked the MD/CE for convening the meeting. He called for more regular meetings and  enhanced  cooperation between the agencies and FAAN.

  • FAAN assures on service quality

    FAAN assures on service quality

    The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmni Kuku, has vowed to implement priority initiatives focused on safety, security, digital transformation, service quality and revenue generation.

    She made the promised during a meeting with members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to discuss salient issues affecting the industry convened by FAAN.

    Mrs. Kuku expressed her desire to see FAAN become one of the top airport management companies in sub-Saharan Africa within the next decade, and emphasized the need for collaboration with AON to achieve this goal.

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    She also identified the need for frequent meetings, quicker response to AON correspondences, and further improvements on airport infrastructure.

    Responding, the Vice President, AON, Dr. Allen Onyema, commended FAAN for its efforts to bring about positive changes at the federal airports under its control.

     “When government does what is wrong, you can say it, but what is happening in FAAN is commendable,” the Air Peace CEO said.

    According to him, “The desire to do good is very, very transparent. You can see it. So, why won’t we have confidence in the system? This is no more fighting time; this is time for collaboration.”

    Some of the resolutions reached during the meeting include amongst others the need for more frequent meetings, further improvements on airport infrastructure, and the digitalization of revenue collection.

  • FAAN unveils programme to drive workforce efficiency

    FAAN unveils programme to drive workforce efficiency

    Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has unveiled an   ‘Acculturation Programme ‘ aimed at transforming its organizational culture towards efficiency and excellence.

    FAAN’s Managing Director,Mrs Olubunmi Kuku ,said  the programme is  significant  in  cultivating a work environment where excellence, efficiency, and integrity are paramount

    The initiative, which is driven  by the Director Special  Duties, Mr Henry  Agbebire, includes a comprehensive culture change training for all staff, guided by the new handbook titled :”  FLIGHT TO EXCELLENCE” Additionally, FAAN  also introduced ‘SKYWARD SHIFT’ , a monthly bulletin to keep staff informed and motivated.

    In a statement signed by its Director , Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah , the authority said it has introduced the MD’s Monthly Prize and Award for Excellence and Productivity to recognize outstanding performance.

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    According to the statement, Kuku highlighted the programme as a commitment to continuous improvement, urging staff to fully engage with the training sessions and materials.

     “Change is never easy, but it is necessary for growth and progress,” Kuku stated, expressing confidence in the staff’s ability to drive FAAN’s vision forward.

    “The Acculturation Programme reflects the forward-thinking approach of the  Minister, Festus Keyamo  in transforming organizational culture. By equipping the ministry’s workforce with the essential values, skills, and mindset, the programme aims to elevate the aviation sector to new heights and inspire similar transformative efforts in other agencies under the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

    “With this programme, FAAN aims to exceed stakeholder and passenger expectations, positioning itself as a leader in the global aviation community.”

  • 19 airports are unviable, says FAAN

    19 airports are unviable, says FAAN

    Nineteen of the 22 airports in the country  are unviable, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said yesterday.

     FAAN’s Managing Director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku  said several states in the North and Southwest are developing new airports.

    She spoke on a national television programme.

    Mrs Kuku  said the authority is cross-subsidising the  19 airports and will continue to do so for some of the new airports being developed.

    She said: “I started off by saying that we have 22 airports which we own and manage.”

    “We also have about six or seven airports that are either owned by state governments or private individuals or entity which we also support with either aviation security or fire and rescue services.

    “We have a number of states in the North as well as in the Southwest that are coming up with new airports.

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    “I would say that based on the states today, only three of the 22 airports are actually profitable and contribute largely to the sustenance of the airport companies that we run.

    “I would also say that we are actually cross-subsidising the other 19 airports today and in most instances, we will substitute or cross-subsidise for some of the airports that are coming on board as well.”

    Mrs Kuku said  FAAN contributes 50 percent of its revenue to the federal coffers which is a major challenge, adding that the authority is in discussions with the various arms of government to seek some relief.

    The FAAN boss said passenger traffic is driven by gross domestic product (GDP) growth and economic activities rather than the construction of new airports.

    She said it is important to focus on key activities such as trade, manufacturing, and tourism to increase airport traffic.

    “Rather than building new airports, we need to look at the bottom of the value chain to determine what activities can drive traffic into these airports,” Mrs Kuku said.

    She said FAAN is collaborating closely with international organisations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Federal Ministry of Aviation, to expand both domestic and international routes.

    The FAAN boss said there are initiatives in place to transform Nigeria and specific airports within the country into transit hubs.

    “What that means is that we start to build a network of airports where we can push our feeders to some of the other states or to some of the other locations and start to utilise our airports,” she said.

    She  said nearly 4 million passengers currently travel internationally from Nigeria, stressing that the efficient use of infrastructure is essential for sustaining and maintaining the facilities.

  • FAAN deploys 120 special security personnel to airports

    FAAN deploys 120 special security personnel to airports

    The MD/CEO of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has commissioned 120 officers of the Aviation  Security  ( AVSEC) Special Force to international airports across the country.

    The Special Force has been trained to bear arms as part of the mission to beef up security at the nation’s gateways.

    Kuku, who spoke at the commissioning of 30 of the personnel at the international wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos, said it was a remarkable moment for the agency as it takes constructive steps to get Nigeria aviation security team kitted in line with the global standards.

    According to the FAAN MD:  “This is for them to help us in terms of securing our assets, in terms of helping to secure lives, as well as the people within the aviation environment specifically at the airports. So again, as I mentioned, it’s remarkable for us, we’re happy that we spent a significant amount of time in terms of training them, in terms of identifying the sorts of individuals that are part of this squad.

    “They’re quite professional, as you can see, and they will continue to engage as well as work closely with other security agencies.”

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    Kuku allayed fears of the security team deploying their arms for use as excessive force in the course of their duty, cautioning passengers and airport users to go about their businesses in an orderly manner.

    She stressed: “The arms they carry  today show that they are now an elite squad that will complement the aviation security staff that we have.”

    Speaking on the facilities where the personnel will be deployed, the FAAN Chief Executive said: “We are starting with the five international airports. That’s Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu. There is a similar exercise going on. We do have about 120 people who have been trained. It is a recurring training program. In Lagos, I believe we have about 30 of them.

    “As mentioned, the special squad role will be to critically work with all of the other security agencies. This is very important. And I say it’s a significant milestone. You can see them,they’re gallant, they’re kitted, they’re ready to protect, and they’re ready to serve.”

    She expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed  Tinubu, the  Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo and the National Security Adviser, for their support in achieving this noble objective.

  • FAAN raises task force to eradicate touting at airports

    FAAN raises task force to eradicate touting at airports

    The Managing Director/ Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has taken  decisive steps towards eliminating touting, extortion, and illicit activities at  airports  nationwide with a task force to tackle the menace.

    To drive this, she said plans are afoot to establish magistrate courts at international airports to expedite the legal process for prosecuting offenders.

    To spearhead this initiative, Mr. Henry Agbebire, Director of Special Duties at FAAN, has been appointed as the chairman of the task force

    The task force has been mandated to enforce discipline among airport staff and maintain a culture of professionalism at all levels.

    In addition, dedicated phone lines and QR codes will be set up to provide passengers with a means of providing feedback on their airport experience.

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    She emphasized that all airport personnel must prominently display their on-duty cards and name tags for easy identification and accountability.

    Speaking in an interview, Mrs. Kuku expressed deep concern over the ongoing harassment and extortion of passengers at the airports, emphasizing her commitment to creating a seamless and pleasant experience for travelers.

    As a result, her administration has launched an extensive campaign to crack down on such illegal activities.

    Mrs. Kuku has also declared her intention to personally engage with all government agencies operating at the airports to ensure compliance with the anti-touting and anti-extortion measures.

  • FAAN, NCAT resolve row on N5.2b aircraft fire simulator

    FAAN, NCAT resolve row on N5.2b aircraft fire simulator

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has resolved the dispute on the Boeing 737-NG full flight fire simulator acquired in 2019 by the Federal Government and installed at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).

    Rising from a meeting held at FAAN’s headquarters  in Lagos,the  management teams led by the Rector/CEO, of NCAT,  Mr. Joseph Imalighwe,  and the leadership of the Nigerian Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA), it was resolved that FAAN and NCAT will share revenue and liabilities on the simulator.

    Also, FAAN, it was agreed will use its network to attract foreign trainees to use the facility and raise revenue for both organisations.

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     The Multi – Purpose Aircraft Fire Simulator situated at NCAT Campus in Zaria  offers different practical  fire fighting  and rescue scenarios . It was acquired in 2019 by the previous administration for about N5.2b.

     The simulator would save the country billions of foreign  currency in training costs, which hitherto went to other countries.

     Speaking on the development, the FAAN MD/CE said, “We are happy to have finally come to this agreement between sister organisations in the interest of the safety of our passengers and improving the competence of our brave firefighters. This will improve our image globally and attract revenue that both organizations need. As I have always said, safety will always take priority in everything we do at FAAN, and this is a demonstration of that.”

  • FAAN mulls digitisation of procurement procedures to curb duplications

    FAAN mulls digitisation of procurement procedures to curb duplications

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), is weighing available options on how to digitise its procurement procedures and systems for award of contracts for capital projects for airport security and operational infrastructure to curb its exposure to duplication of projects initiated either by the authority or its supervising Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

    The new move by the airport authority insider sources hinted is coming on the heels of the spike in the number of requests for variation by contractors who have been mobilised for some projects, which the management of FAAN cannot authenticate.

    Investigations by The Nation reveal that the management of the airport authority is grappling with requests for payment by contractors, who have been mobilised for some airport projects, whose tenures of execution have expired.

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    Investigations further reveal that FAAN, like many government organisations still have their projects “ Paper Documented “, at a time the global aviation sector is utilising software applications to document projects for visibility, budgeting and effective planning.

    Sources within the airport authority hinted relevant departments in FAAN, including: Audit/Budget / Finance and others who are end users of some of the projects cannot give an update on the contractors handling what project.

    Sources hinted that this gap, not helped by lack of appropriate deployment of technology, may have given rise to duplication / proliferation of contracts concerning airports infrastructure.

    Experts familiar with the development observed that though FAAN’s internally generated revenue (IGR) may have helped in fixing some of its capital projects, the 50 per cent deduction into the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account is standing in the way as an obstacle.

    Experts say the projects and contracts handled by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development as intervention for airport infrastructure could give rise to duplication.

    To reverse the trend, the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, it was learnt is getting worried over the development, forcing her to evolve strategic measures by the management.

    A source at a recent meeting on the matter said Kuku is reaching out to the Office of the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance to consider exempting FAAN from the deduction of 50 per cent of its revenue from source to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Account.

    Besides, Kuku , it was learnt, is worried that the absence of a transparent digital  contract/procurement system in FAAN is making budgeting / planning for projects in the airport authority a nightmare.

    She was quoted as being miffed over the failure of FAAN in the last many years of not having a technology driven software application to track contracts awarded for what amount in any airport.

    Kuku, it was learnt, has vowed that FAAN management will not buckle under any pressure to pay any contractor for any project whose status has not been verified.

    To achieve this, FAAN management, it was learnt, will be engaging the services of a management consulting firm: Ernst & Young Global Limited to assist in identifying FAAN contracts and intervene in providing governance for better outcomes.

    Ernst & Young Global Limited, it was learnt, is ready to deploy its change management strategies to assist FAAN in fixing this yawning gap in its contracting / procurement value chain.

    To extract its commitment for the task, Ernst & Young Global Limited, a source close to the meeting said it is requesting FAAN to sign it to deliver on the mandate.

    Sources within the authority said its personnel are upbeat about the development, because it will reset the Management’s drive to recalibrate it’s planning tool and focus on where intervention is needed to close gaps.

    Investigations by The Nation reveal that enumeration/identification of projects contracted NY FAAN may be underway was the its team with the consultants will visit airports nationwide to spot all projects.

    The spotting of such projects, a source said will assist the management to decide the contracts that may be canceled, renegotiated in line with urgent needs.

    A source pointed out the apron expansion at Lagos Airport and other critical projects.

    The source said FAAN was losing too much money to duplication of contracts.

  • FAAN kicks off campaign for access toll fee

    FAAN kicks off campaign for access toll fee

    The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Oluwaseun Kuku, yesterday began a comprehensive public awareness campaign to ensure that all airport users are well-informed about the new policy on access gate fees.

    The awareness campaign is in response to the recent directive from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, mandating that all citizens pay access gate fees at all 24 airports nationwide. The FAAN MD affirmed that implementing this mandate immediately will address one of the key revenue leakages the new management is determined to eliminate.

    Speaking on the new policy, Kuku commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister for their proactive role in helping to give vent to the use of technology in order to shore up revenue, prevent leakages and reduce the abuse of privileges by VIPs.

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    She emphasised that, “FAAN is currently poised to leverage technology to intensify its revenue drive. The new mandate also provide some protection for FAAN staff, who are often bullied and railroaded by VIPs and military personnel.”

    Kuku also mentioned that, though the implementation of the E-tag regime in Lagos and Abuja international airports and non-exclusion of VIPs in the payment for access gate fees at all airports in Nigeria is immediate, efforts are being made to ameliorate the traffic gridlock that may be experienced at the early stages of the implementation of the directive, especially in Lagos and Abuja airports.

    According to her, “The good news is that all government organisations, the military and VIPs are fully in support of Mr. President on this directive. FAAN is, therefore, guaranteed of maximum support from all sides.”

  • Multiple baggage checks: FAAN, ONSA collaborate to reduce physical contact at airports

    Multiple baggage checks: FAAN, ONSA collaborate to reduce physical contact at airports

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) have concluded plans to reduce the numbers of military and paramilitary personnel at Nigeria international airports who have physical touches with passengers’ baggage multiple times.

    Multiple checks by these personnel, investigations reveal constitutes delays and numerous inconveniences to travellers passing through the airports.

    The new deal is part of government’s rejig of security and traveling protocol at the nation’s gateways.

    The government said it is committed to streamlining travelling and related protocols at airports for seamless passenger facilitation.

    Over the years, complaints have been on the rise  of unnecessary multiple checks of passengers’ belongings carried out by  many security agencies’ officers who mount checkpoints inside  terminals at international airports.

    Experts in the aviation industry have called for a streamlining of such exercises as well a drastic reduction of such agencies personnel while others suggest a centralised structure of checks to be adopted to reduce the numbers of human contacts passengers belongings are subjected to.

    Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, at the weekend disclosed that the agency and the Office of the NSA have agreed to carry out short and long term measure to address the issue including the creation of a joint coordination room where all the agencies can view CCTV cameras to ascertain what they are looking for.

    Mrs. Kuku described the development as disturbing, but affirmed that the issue was the first thing she inquired about upon assumption of office adding that she personally sat down with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to discuss how to streamline the facilitation processes.

    While addressing complaints on multiple baggage checks, the FAAN MD said:“On the issues of the checking of baggage, it borders me so much and that was the first inquiry that I made when I assumed office. As far back as 2011 and 2012 when I was in the industry, this was something I have worked on with the former Minister.”

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    She said: “It actually goes beyond FAAN, a lot of those agencies, Customs, NDLEA, Quarantine Agricultural and Plant Services ,we now have EFCC, we have almost everybody at the airports, we had Executive order 001 during the Buhari administration to move them out under the then Vice President Office, now we have the National Single Window, I have personally sat with the NSA over the last five weeks to have conversations with him as to how we will streamline the facilitation.

    “We have agreed on a few things, the first one is a short term intervention where we reduce the number of agencies at the airports because we have some that were doing just sort of routine checks, just moving around to observe rather than disturbing passengers.

    “The second is the longer term, a joint coordination room, we do have cameras, so we are asking all of those agencies, depending on what it is they are looking for to move to the joint coordination room to look at the cameras and observed and for those that are more concerned with the baggage, they can move down to where we load the bags, that way they have better visibility than disturbing passengers.”

    However, she explained that the opening of passengers’ baggage was for a reason adding, “I believe that came about a couple of years ago, a lot of countries had issues with scanning devices that were coming from certain countries and as such they require secondary screening. You will see that some of the airlines have companies doing secondary screening on their behalf but a lot of passengers will think that it is FAAN because we are the face of the agency and the airports.

    “But that doesn’t take away from the coordination room that we have, so we take responsibility, we are trying to solve it. We are trying to have dual view cameras and put them and explosive devices a bit farther so that we are doing a secondary check without opening your bags.

    “If you go to Frankfurt for example, even after you get off the aircraft and go through security, for any flight that is departing for the US and certain countries, you will see that a secondary screening happens, is just that they are dipping their hands in your bags. Please bear with us, it is coordination that is required not just with FAAN, the NSA has stepped in and is now helping us vigorously.”