Players in the global airport management sector, including Nigeria, are intensifying training and accreditation efforts to build personnel capacity and enhance operational efficiency across aerodromes.
In line with international benchmarks set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Nigeria has trained over 3,000 technical staff in less than two years. These include professionals in airside operations, firefighting and rescue services, aerodrome safety, and aviation security.
Nigeria’s drive for efficient airport management has become a continuous process, with authorities committed to delivering smart, compliant aerodromes, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR writes:
Nigeria’s quest for efficient airport operations is evolving into a continuous journey, with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) leaving no stone unturned in its mission to deliver smart, globally compliant aerodromes.
To meet and exceed international standards set by global aviation bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), FAAN has launched an extensive training programme for its personnel.
The training targets critical units including operations, aerodrome safety, firefighting and rescue services, as well as aviation security.
FAAN Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, said the initiative is designed not only to close long-standing operational gaps but also to position Nigeria for success in upcoming global airport audits.
In an interview, Kuku emphasized that the authority is now prioritizing comprehensive capacity-building efforts, aligning its strategy to ensure that personnel are equipped with the skills necessary for world-class airport management.
She stressed that manpower development remains key to sustaining operational excellence and ensuring the country’s airports meet global expectations.
She said, “I’m really excited to be part of the programme because it aligns with our broader goals as an airport authority. Though the Professional Airport Management Accreditation comes in different layers spanning over three years, it is key in equipping our personnel with the knowledge required for global airport competitiveness.
“This programme is also quite intentional in the sense that it is recognized globally, and it’s actually being hosted by both ICAO, the United Nations body that regulates the aviation sector, and other bodies, including the ACI.”
The FAAN said training equips airport personnel with knowledge on the institutional frameworks that regulates and also guides operators of airports and professionals in the sector.
The FAAN boss, the authority, will continue to expose its technical workforce to the knowledge base required by supporting organizations that help to drive efficiency in the air transport value chain.
Kuku said, “We will continue to invest in training our workforce, being a part of the transport industry on the best processes and procedures for moving passengers as well as cargo. The second is the fact that it really focuses on our operations as an airport operations management company.
“We need to expose the personnel to the key concepts that apply to relevant areas. So, things like how do we facilitate our passengers across the airport. How do we manage our landslide operations? Our day to activities. Things around Security, but it also borders on longer-term planning. So, we spent a significant portion on how we drive innovation in the airport space.
“We have spent some time talking about technology and how technology has evolved in the aviation space over time. We have focused on the Internet of Things. How do you leverage data? How do you host the data? How do you use biometrics, for example, to sort of ease the passenger movement?
“And I think lastly, it is also where we focused on strategic planning. So, our longer-term objectives span how we want to become, you know, one of the best airport companies across Africa over the years. What do we need to do to achieve that?
” So, we talked about our objectives, our vision and mission as an organization, of course, we also focused on how we execute the implementation plan that we have. I think the last thing that we also covered is really around airport master planning to make sure that we’re not just executing for today, but throughout 50 to 20 years.”
She said the training programmes for FAAN personnel has opened the horizon on issues about airport layout and planning for future expansion are approached, So, I would say that this course has been really helpful to us as an organization, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
She said the airport authority has also used its different personnel capacity programmes to see how the system could leverage innovation and technology to run efficient domestic and international airports.
Kuku said, “I think the first one is really around innovation. In my engagement with our personnel, we are looking at the technology space and how to relate some of the insights that we got to some upcoming technologies within our domestic and international airports.
“I think the first one is really where we’re testing biometrics right now, within the airport premises. So, on departure, as you know, we’ve recently installed electronic gates for some of our terminals, and we’re now testing biometrics. So, there’s a pilot programme going on. We are looking at how we can leverage data to improve the efficiency at our terminals.
“So, our focus last year has largely been on focusing on capacity development for all of our staff. As you know, we do have critical areas. Some of the critical areas will be for operations such as the airport marshallers, a focus on people who require the necessary certification, our aviation security staff, and, of course, our fire staff.
“We actually were able to train for the first time in history. We trained and certified about 3000 people, aviation security officers within FAAN at various levels. There has also been a focus on our fire staff. We do have a train-the-trainer programme that would allow us to accelerate the number of staff that we’re able to train as we deploy more staff to some of the airports that are coming up.
“We’re also partnering a lot more with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, to make sure that we can roll out a lot of these programmes.”
Affirming the airport authority’s focus on personnel capacity building, Assistant General Safety Services / Head, Operational Safety /Health Unit, Oguche Samuel Enejo said many workers have been trained in safety management systems.
Oguche said such capacity development programmes have gone a long way to drive the capacity of the personnel to handle hazards associated with aircraft operations.
Speaking in an interview, FAAN’s director of Human Resources, Dr. Lukman Eniola said the authority continues to place a premium on the training of its technical personnel.
Eniola told The Nation that deploying more funds for personnel capacity building and facilities will help close gaps and shortcomings of the past.
He said the current leadership of the airport authority, led by Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, is navigating strategic pillars of capability building of personnel and provision of the right work tools to scale up processes, procedures, and an adequate regulatory framework for enhanced airport management.
Eniola said the authority has stepped up training for 85 percent of its critical technical personnel for airport optimization.
“Things are changing every day, in terms of knowledge for those expected to manage aviation infrastructure, in terms of the work environment.
“We’re talking about plugging into environmentally conscious trends in global aviation that border on sustainability. We’re talking about evolving trends in airport management and many things with airports. You see a lot of innovations in terms of technology, artificial intelligence, and the robotic Internet of Things.”
He said, “People who deserve to take this training are identified. The training needs are also identified. The resources required for the training are sourced, and adequate timetables for this training are maintained. Our training school has been resuscitated with the right personnel and our training plan is also aligning with what the organization requires.
Eniola said FAAN is working the clock to achieve the running of smart airports, which requires competent, technically certified personnel.
He said the airport authority continues to latch onto data in allocating resources for critical areas including safety, engineering, operations and other departments.
He said, “We have invested more funds in the training of our technical personnel, knowing that competency is required for any smart airport operations in the old world.
“What the personnel lacked previously was the willpower, the leadership, support for them to excel, and that is what we have brought back in terms of human resources, capacity development, and support for initiatives that are not injurious to the organization and to the nation at large.”
Eniola said FAAN is making efforts to close gaps identified by ICAO in the last airport audit.
He said, “We are going forward to the x the identified gaps following meetings with the affected directorates.
“We have spoken to our safety departments, the operations department, the engineering department, and they’ve provided us with all those gaps, some of them, we have started closing with some of the training we have approved for. And we’re sending some of our aerodrome rescue and fire personnel training, the marshaller training, all of those areas we have identified through the data we have gathered. Those data are helping us.
“When we have determined the numbers, we’ve looked at our budget, we’re in discussion with some of the stakeholders. We are making plans to fix these before we go into another set of audits, because we want to raise the bar. “We want to take our airports from medium to high category ratings.”
