Airport Reporters

 FAAN MD Projects Strong Export Growth as Nigeria-UK Trade Hits £8.1bn Nigeria’s export potential to the United Kingdom is set for significant growth as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) highlighted rising trade volumes and new market opportunities within the aviation sector. Speaking at a forum hosted by the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, represented by the Director of Cargo Development and Services, Lekan Thomas, highlighted encouraging trade figures and policy support driving the aviation corridor. According to him, Nigeria-UK trade reached £8.1 billion, recording an 11.4 per cent year-on-year increase, while UK imports from Nigeria stood at £2.4 billion. He noted that even a modest 1–5 per cent increase in exports could generate an additional $25–125 million in revenue. Thomas also pointed to the United Kingdom’s decision to grant duty-free or reduced tariffs on over 3,000 Nigerian products as a maj...

Nigeria scores 91.4 % in in ICAO  safety audit The Nigerian aviation industry has recorded an impressive 91.45 percent  Effective Implementation (EI) score at the just-concluded International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), held between April 15 and 22, 2026. Speaking during the closing briefing held at the Authority's Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on April 22, 2026, the Director-General Civil Aviation, (DGCA), Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, noted that the ICVM audit is an independent platform that identifies Nigeria's internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats that may impact on its statutory mandate of safety oversight responsibilities, safe aircraft operations and public safety. While acknowledging that the validation results will be subjected to a different validation by the Safety and Air Navigation Oversight Audit Section, Capt. Najomo expressed firm optimism that the ultimate status of the Pr...

  Inside the Fragile Systems Supporting Africa's Fleet Expansion Derek Nseko  The easiest way to misunderstand African aviation is to look at the airplane. On the continent, the real question begins only after the delivery ceremony is over. Who will maintain it? Who will train the crews beyond the first intake? Where will the spare engine come from when the first one goes off wing? How long will a grounded aircraft sit before it flies again? And when the OEM’s global system is under strain, where do we fit in the queue? Those questions define whether an aircraft becomes an asset or a liability. They are also why so many airlines on the continent struggle not because demand is absent, but because the ecosystem around the aircraft is too thin to sustain the ambition placed on it. Of course, aircraft choice itself still matters. Right sizing remains critical, and routes and networks must be aligned with the realities of demand. But even the most well-matched aircraft will falter ...

Onyema bags fourth honorary doctorate  .Reaffirms commitment to education , national building  The Chairman of West and Central Africa’s largest airline, Air Peace, Dr Allen Onyema, has been conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa) by Abia State University, marking his fourth honorary doctorate. The conferment was held in alignment with the University’s 32nd Convocation Ceremony, in the presence of a distinguished gathering of academic and industry leaders. Leading the delegation were the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ndukwe J. Okeudo; the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Agwu U. Agwu; and the Registrar, Dr Acho Elendu, alongside members of the institution’s leadership and the airline’s management team. In his remarks, Onyema underscored his unwavering commitment to education and national development, stating: “One thing is certain, I believe in education. Without education, the country is dead and whatever we must d...

 AAAU Ag. VC Honoured at NIGAV  .....Offers Master’s Degree Scholarship to King, Queen of the Air The African Aviation and Aerospace University has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing human capital development in Nigeria’s aviation sector as its Acting Vice Chancellor, Mustapha Sheikh Abdullahi, was honoured with the Aviation Academic Excellence Award while the institution chart award the Most Promising Training Institution Award at the 15th edition of the Nigerian Aviation (NIGAV) Awards and Ministerial Dinner held in Lagos. In a remarkable demonstration of the University’s dedication to excellence and capacity building, Abdullahi announced the award of a fully funded Post Graduate,  Master’s degree (MSc) scholarship on behalf of the Governing Council to two exceptional cabin crew members—Adeyemi Adebote of Arik Air and Ubani Blossom of Ibom Air—who emerged as the King and Queen of the Air at the prestigious ceremony. The scholarship initiative, according to the Actin...

 NDLEA TASKS EDO PATENT MEDICINE VENDORS AGAINST DRUG ABUSE The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, has called for a strategic partnership with patent medicine vendors, with the reinforcement of ethical dispensing practices identifying them as critical agents in the fight against substance abuse.  The call was made by the Commander of Narcotics, Mitchell Ofoyeju, at a one-day anti-drug abuse workshop organised for members of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Edo State Chapter. Held on Wednesday at the Indoor Sports Hall, Ogbe Stadium, Benin City, with the theme “Patent Medicine Vendors as Frontline Defenders: Ensuring Safe Medicines, Preventing Drug Abuse”, the workshop aimed to bridge the gap between regulation and community-level healthcare provision. Commander Mitchell, addressing about 2,154 NAPPMED members across Edo South, resource persons, NDLEA officers, and the press, emphasised that the worksho...