Supo Atobatele

A country’s airport is the gateway to national image. It is not only a factor of first impression, but indeed of foremost consideration to prospective foreign investors. It is against this background therefore that one cannot fail to appreciate the managerial acumen being brought to bear in the drive to steer the nation’s airports to greater height in the sub region.

The driving force to this monumental change is Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who is also president, Airports Council International (ACI) – Africa. Only recently, two Nigeria’s busiest and strategic airports-the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, were certified in line with recommended standards of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

By this remarkable feat, Dunoma has not only succeeded in recording a ground breaking feat, but also making an indelible foot print on the aviation global business.

The significance of these achievements could not have been more succinctly expressed, than in the authoritative voice of the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, who said that by these achievements, Nigeria ranks as the only country in Africa to have its two major airports certified in accordance with ICAO safety standards. Not only that, it equally ranks as the only country in the latest African continent with internationally certified airports.

He stated further that the certification, has tremendously enhanced the rating of the two airports and from the economic end point, it will trigger the multiplier creation of more jobs for the citizens, reposition air transport to contribute more to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country by boosting passenger traffic on local and international routes which is expected to hit over 15million per annum in the next 15 years.

Attesting to Nigeria’s leading position in African aviation industry, the NCAA boss said: “The attainment of this safety milestone is quite significant in view of the fact that less than 25 per cent international airports in Africa and Indian Ocean are certified.” He explained that with the certification of these airports, Nigeria has become the first African country in the AFI-Africa /Indian Ocean region.

With the tremendous tall edge already attained over regional competitors in the African arena, Dunoma refused to let down the steam as he promised that Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu airports would also be certified in the second and third quarters respectively.

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In his integrative, all encompassing total approach, he blazed another trail on the equally vital dimension of human capacity development with the FAAN Training School, certified as Training Centre for the Airports Council International (ACI).

By this development, the school would be used as a facility for the ACI to conduct trainings to groom aviation personnel on airport management, security and other related subjects of interest to the council.

Viewed from another dimension, one cannot help but remark, that it is a tribute to Dunoma’s visionary ingenuity that the tremendous infrastructural repositioning of the airport, as championed with remarkable zest by him could not have come up at a better time when it is expected to offer a conducive milieu for the new national carrier, expected to flag off operation later in the year.

FAAN has made a remarkable impact on the Federal Government‘s “Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria,” aimed at ensuring that government agencies deliver services to the general public in a timely, honest and efficient manner. This initiative launched last year has added another impetus for the authority to deliver quality services at all airports across the country.

As part of security enhancement of the airports nationwide, the authority recently deployed more Closed- Circuit Television-CCTV at the airports to further ensure wider coverage and improve surveillance. The recent security measures put in place has brought about drastic reduction in touting and illegal activities at the airports. This drive of giving face-lift on facilities at the gateways, informed the installation of three new baggage scanners at the Lagos airport replacing process of manual screening.

Some other airport facilities given attention by the FAAN management include elevators, information desk, car park, lounges, lighting system, aviobridges and cooling system.

As the country hosts, the 59th conference and general meetings of Airports Council International (ACI) -Africa, between April 14 and 20, 2018, the patriotic gestures of the FAAN boss can be more appreciated in a milieu, where everyone is ever busy with parochial personal agenda and crave for enrichment of self.

•Atobatele, a journalist and former General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, writes from Lagos.