The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, has called for greater investment in infrastructure, technology, human capital and commercial partnerships to enable African airports cope with the continent’s rapidly growing aviation market.
Kuku, who is also Vice President of Airports Council International (ACI) Africa, made the call in her welcome address at the opening of the ACI Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition 2026 in Abuja.
The conference, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, is themed: “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience.”
She said the theme should be viewed as more than a conference slogan, describing it as a strategic mandate for African aviation stakeholders to prepare airports for the demands of the next decade.
According to her, recent passenger traffic figures indicate that Africa is experiencing strong aviation growth despite persistent structural challenges confronting the sector.
Citing the latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, the FAAN boss said African airlines recorded a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in July 2026, at a time when global international demand declined by 0.1 per cent.
She said Africa’s overall passenger demand also increased by 5.2 per cent, compared with a global average growth of 0.2 per cent, describing the development as evidence that the continent’s aviation market was expanding rapidly.
“Let me put that in perspective: while global international demand actually declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period, Africa was expanding. We are not just participating in global aviation recovery – we are leading it,” she said.
Kuku said Nigeria was also contributing significantly to the growth, with the country’s aviation market now ranked as the fourth-largest in Africa.
She disclosed that more than 18.8 million domestic and international passengers passed through Nigerian airports in 2025, representing an 11.9 per cent year-on-year increase.
She further noted that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s 10 largest airports in September, with a 24.1 per cent increase.
The FAAN managing director said the growth momentum had continued into 2026, citing OAG data which put Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September at 1.19 million seats, representing a 37.4 per cent increase over the same period in 2025.
She attributed the growth to currency reforms, new aircraft leasing arrangements and renewed confidence among international airlines seeking to expand their operations into Nigeria.
“Since the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development took office, several airlines have resumed operations in Nigeria, and more are expected soon,” she said.
Kuku, however, cautioned that the positive growth figures should not obscure the structural weaknesses within the African aviation industry.
She said Africa accounted for only one per cent of global air traffic despite having about 18 per cent of the world’s population, while airline load factors remained below global averages and the financial viability of many African carriers continued to be fragile.
She added that Nigeria, despite having a population of more than 220 million people, recorded approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports, suggesting that significant room remained for expansion.
“The potential is vast, but the gap between where we are and where we could be remains substantial,” she said.
She identified funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, high operating costs, fragmented connectivity and the pressure to maintain low charges while providing world-class facilities as some of the major challenges facing the sector.
Kuku used FAAN’s experience since 2023 to illustrate how African airport operators could pursue transformation despite financial and operational constraints.
She said the authority had prioritised infrastructure modernisation, safety and capacity, including the rehabilitation of a major runway at MMIA, terminal upgrades and improvements to airfield lighting while maintaining airport operations.
“We have focused on the fundamentals: safe runways, functional terminals, and reliable systems,” she said.
She also highlighted FAAN’s establishment of a Passenger Experience Hub, designed to improve speed, predictability, comfort and human assistance for passengers.
“We recognise that airports are not merely infrastructure – they are experiences,” she said.
According to her, FAAN is also deploying digital technologies, including fast check-in systems, automated e-passport gates, enhanced security systems and passenger-data analytics.
On quality management, she disclosed that FAAN secured ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications in January 2026, describing the certifications as evidence of the authority’s commitment to quality management, environmental responsibility and continuous improvement.
She further said more than 3,500 FAAN personnel had been trained and certified through International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and ACI programmes.
On cargo development, she said FAAN had retooled its Directorate of Cargo Development Services and was working with relevant stakeholders to position Nigerian airports as logistics platforms for regional and international trade.
“These achievements are evidence that even in the most challenging environments, disciplined prioritisation, strong partnerships, and a commitment to our people can deliver results,” she said.
Looking ahead, Kuku identified five key areas that she said should shape the development of next-generation African airports: financial sustainability, intelligent infrastructure, operational resilience, human capital and partnerships.
She said airports must reduce their dependence on aeronautical charges and develop alternative revenue streams through logistics parks, hospitality, retail, data-driven services and airport-city developments.
“Our airports must become commercial ecosystems – anchors for logistics parks, hospitality, retail, data-driven services, and airport-city development,” she said.
On infrastructure, she stressed the need to invest in systems that improve airport efficiency, including predictive maintenance, reliable power supply, digital operational systems and data analytics.
She also argued that resilience should be regarded as an organisational capability rather than simply an emergency response mechanism.
“Resilience is not an emergency plan – it is an organisational capability,” she said, adding that airports needed redundancy, agility, intelligence and effective communication systems to reduce the time between disruption and response.
On human capital, the FAAN chief executive said investment in technology and infrastructure would yield limited results without a competent workforce capable of managing increasingly complex airport systems.
“Infrastructure depreciates; technology becomes obsolete; but a competent, accountable, and continuously learning workforce multiplies every investment,” she said.
She also called for stronger partnerships between governments, airport operators, private investors, airlines, technology companies, logistics providers and development finance institutions.
Kuku urged African governments to create predictable and commercially disciplined frameworks for long-term airport infrastructure investment.
She called for airport executives to be given clear mandates, predictable resources and sufficient room to manage airport businesses commercially, while remaining accountable for measurable results.
She equally urged development partners and financial institutions to treat airports as strategic economic infrastructure deserving sustained investment.
According to her, the economic, social and developmental returns from investing in African aviation infrastructure would be substantial.
The FAAN boss also urged airport leaders to focus resources on projects that improve safety, increase capacity, generate revenue and strengthen operational resilience.
“Not every desirable project can be funded at once. But the essential projects – the ones that protect safety, build capacity, generate revenue, and strengthen resilience – must not wait,” she said.
She said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the continent’s young, digitally oriented workforce provided significant opportunities for the development of a more integrated and competitive aviation market.
However, she stressed that the opportunities would only translate into tangible benefits if matched with concrete action and investment.
“Every passenger who passes through our airports carries dreams, responsibilities, and aspirations. We must build airports worthy of that trust,” she said.
Concluding, Kuku said Africa had demonstrated its resilience by keeping its aviation sector operating through currency crises, health emergencies, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties.
“The challenges are real, but so is our resilience. We have operated through currency crises, health emergencies, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainty. We have kept people and economies connected,” she said.
She urged participants at the conference to use the gathering to exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and develop a shared vision for the future of African airports.
“Let us leave Abuja with renewed commitment, strengthened partnerships, and a shared vision of what African aviation can become,” she said.
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