The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubumi Kuku, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to take a leading position in Africa’s aviation industry, citing ongoing economic reforms, airport modernisation, and regional cooperation as key pillars for sustained growth and connectivity.
Speaking at a continental aviation dialogue, Kuku provided a detailed overview of the sector’s progress and challenges, highlighting how Nigeria’s evolving macroeconomic stability and infrastructural renewal were fuelling recovery and expansion in air transport.
“Imagine Nigeria alone – 220 million people. That’s literally half the population of South America,” Mrs Kuku remarked, setting the context for the country’s vast potential. “From Nigeria alone, we’ve significantly increased our reserves. Our monetary policy rates have come down, inflationary levels have dropped, and we’re working to improve GDP per capita.”
She explained that aviation performance closely mirrored national economic indicators, noting that the recent stabilisation of Nigeria’s economy had directly contributed to rising passenger numbers and airline activity.
“Globally, air passenger traffic is tied to GDP. We are seeing steady improvements across Africa and particularly in Nigeria,” she said. “There’s still room for growth, but what’s important is that we are moving in the right direction. As one of the fastest-growing nations on the fastest-growing continent, there’s a lot of untapped potential we must continue to explore.”
Despite this optimism, Kuku acknowledged that intra-African air travel remained constrained by limited connectivity. “At our last regional conference in Zambia, I had to fly east to Kenya first, then return south, and on my way back, I had to route through the Middle East. That tells you the connectivity gaps we must address urgently,” she said.
Addressing the issue of funding, Kuku stressed that while the government had been supportive of aviation development, the scale of required investment demanded active participation from the private sector.
“You can’t depend on government alone in a market like ours, which is capital-intensive,” she explained. “At FAAN, we’ve been fortunate to receive partial funding from the federal government for major infrastructure upgrades, but we are also largely self-sustaining through our internally generated revenue.”
She revealed that FAAN’s current capital renewal programme, which spans 22 to 24 months, was one of the most ambitious in its history. “We’re driving critical infrastructure upgrades across airports nationwide, with the goal of improving safety, passenger experience, and operational efficiency,” she added.
According to her, state governments and private investors now play a significant role in airport ownership and management. “It’s a welcome development,” she said. “Collaborative partnerships are key to modernising our airport system and expanding Nigeria’s connectivity both regionally and globally.”
Kuku also spoke extensively on FAAN’s ongoing efforts to transform the passenger experience through digitalisation and service innovation.
“We’re developing airport environments that reflect the lifestyles and expectations of our travellers,” she explained. “Our goal is to make travel through Nigerian airports seamless, modern, and efficient — while ensuring systems remain user-friendly and accessible.”
She revealed that FAAN had introduced contactless passenger processing with the installation of electronic gates (e-gates) at both departure and arrival terminals — a first in Nigeria’s aviation history. “Many airlines are now keying into this technology, and it’s already improving efficiency,” she said.
The FAAN MD also highlighted the agency’s strong consumer protection framework, created in collaboration with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). “We’ve sanctioned airlines that fail to comply with our passenger service standards, and we’re now seeing much better cooperation,” she affirmed. “Our focus is early engagement with stakeholders so that everyone adapts smoothly to new technology and processes.”
As one of the prominent voices supporting the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), Mrs Kuku reiterated that regional cooperation remained vital to unlocking Africa’s aviation potential.
“We’re strong advocates of SAATM at the ACI Africa level,” she said. “The challenge in Africa has always been determining what to prioritise — infrastructure or the economies that thrive around it. In truth, they must grow together.”
She explained that FAAN was aligning airport development with Nigeria’s trade and export priorities. “Nigeria has huge export potential, particularly in agribusiness across the Middle Belt region,” she noted. “We’re working closely with state governments to develop temperature-controlled facilities and export terminals to support perishable goods movement.”
Beyond trade, she added that FAAN’s focus also included building Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities to reduce dependence on foreign servicing. “In West Africa today, there’s no single MRO handling C and D checks. That’s a major gap we intend to fill by establishing world-class maintenance facilities within Nigeria,” she said.
Kuku reaffirmed the government’s strategy of strengthening domestic airlines to maximise bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) and reduce foreign dominance on key routes.
“Nigeria does not have a single national carrier, but we are supporting our domestic airlines to grow into that space,” she said. “Over the past year, our local carriers have expanded their networks considerably, serving more routes both within and outside Africa.”
She cited the recent launch of direct Abuja–Heathrow and Abuja–Gatwick flights by a Nigerian carrier as a defining achievement. “This is a significant milestone for us. It demonstrates that Nigerian airlines can operate successfully on major international routes,” she declared.
With more than 26 years of professional experience in finance, consulting, and infrastructure development – 15 of which have been dedicated to aviation – Kuku expressed deep optimism about Nigeria’s aviation future.
“We struggled in the last 24 months before full recovery, but the signs are now clear. Nigeria’s aviation market is rebounding strongly,” she said. “These are exciting times. We must now build on this recovery through sustained investment, collaboration, and innovation.”
She concluded with a forward-looking message: “Nigeria’s aviation sector is on the rise. With the reforms underway, the infrastructure renewal projects in motion, and the partnerships we’re building, I believe we are well on our way to positioning Nigeria as a major regional and global aviation hub.”
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