Our Airports Infrastructure Trajectory, by FAAN Managing Director

 

Our Airports Infrastructure Trajectory, by FAAN Managing Director 

Panelists during the General Session: “Shaping the Future of Air Travel- A Global Airport Perspective” at the ACI-NA & ACI World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition 2025 in Toronto. Seated (from left) are Armando Brunini, CEO SEA Milan Airports; Aiman Fawzi Arab, Chairman and CEO Egyptian Holding Company for Airports & Air Navigation; Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Cindy Nichol, ACI-NA Board Chair and Director of Airports, Sacramento County; and Juan José Salmón, CEO Lima Airport Partners.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has highlighted its major airports infrastructure trajectory affirming that it has a raft of  innovative solutions to improve passenger facilitation and experience at the nations airports.

This move the authority said is part of the broader strategy to ramp up facility upgrade at airports to align with global best practices.

Managing Director of the Authority, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, who spoke as a panelist on “Shaping the Future of Air Travel: A Global Airport Perspective” during the just concluded 35th Airports Council International World Annual General Assembly in Toronto, emphasized the need for continuous investment in airport infrastructure, adding that the current administration has invested a lot to address infrastructure deficit in aviation.

While stressing the  place of private sector participation, Kuku disclosed that the Authority had been self-sustaining through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), but  praised government for its support with the bigger projects.

“You can’t depend on government alone in a market like ours, which is capital-intensive.  So we talk about where private sector participation and foreign direct investment are. We’ve been lucky at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. I don’t necessarily want to say it’s a vote of confidence, but, you know, the fact that our government recognises there is indeed a need to drive some infrastructure upgrades means we’ve been able to secure partial funding from them. But we at the Federal Airports Authority are also primarily driven by our internally generated revenue, meaning we’re sort of self-sustaining, except for this major capital renewal we’re getting for infrastructure upgrades over the next 22 to 24 months”, she said.

The FAAN boss said the Authority has put in place and still installing modern technologies for seamless connections and passenger profiling.

She also mentioned the contactless payment system which was recently introduced to replace  to enhance transparency and accountability in revenue collection.

This initiative, launched in partnership with Paystack, uses a universal prepaid contactless card for services like airport access gates and car parks, making transactions faster, safer, and more efficient.

“I will say that I do believe there are many similarities across different experiences, but, of course, you will understand that specific markets are more advanced than others, as you will see in terms of technological advancements to improve the passenger experience. But one thing we’ve done—and I mentioned this at our last Africa Regional Conference—is we’ve developed, or are developing an airport environment that matches the lifestyle of our travellers.

“So, much as we’re keen to implement modern, advanced technology that makes it easier for passengers, we also want to ensure it’s seamless, understandable, and aligned with the profile of the passengers flying through our airport. So I mentioned that, for example, we’re implementing contactless in the airport environment with our e-gates. So we have e-gates both on departure and arrival. We didn’t have that before. So, on arrival, we do have many airlines keying in, so you can use that. And it’s interesting: when you talk about that experience and what’s happening with the airlines, I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve had with some of the airlines is actually getting them to key into the technology enhancements and modernisation within the airport environment.

”  I chatted someone yesterday about a passenger who flew from one of my airport, some of the concerns they had were about visa restrictions, advanced passenger information, and ensuring we’re all in sync. So I would say yes, there is a lot of synergy. We’re getting much more cooperation from some airlines. I think the U.S. airlines, to be fair, have been quite forward-thinking in terms of what do we do to make sure that our passengers have an improved experience door-to-door, right, from the departure airports to the transit airports and then to their final destination.”

Kuku  alluded to positive results from collaboration with sister agencies, saying: ‘We’ve also done well in Nigeria: our civil aviation authority, in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority, has established a powerful consumer protection unit. We have, I will say, placed sanctions on many airlines that haven’t complied or supported our strategy to improve the customer experience. We’re seeing airlines fall into shape with that. But I think the good thing is really about collaboration, early stakeholder engagement. I think that really helps along the way, especially when you start rolling out new technologies or changes within the environment they’re used to. So, for example, with the airport rehabilitation works we’re doing, we made sure there was very early engagement with many of the airlines, and the feedback we received was interesting.”, she added.

 Kuku also  renewed calls for greater private-sector participation and investment in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities to strengthen Nigeria’s aviation maintenance ecosystem and retain aircraft servicing locally.

Kuku said the initiative is central to FAAN’s infrastructure renewal programme, designed to reduce dependence on foreign facilities for heavy aircraft checks. She explained that despite ongoing improvements in airport modernization, Nigeria’s lack of comprehensive MRO capacity remains a key weakness in the aviation value chain.

“If you look at Africa, especially West Africa, there’s no single MRO facility that handles comprehensive C and D checks,” Kuku said. “We have maintenance facilities that do A and B checks, but the heavier maintenance work still requires ferrying aircraft abroad. That’s what we’re determined to change.”

According to her, FAAN’s plan is to create a sustainable maintenance ecosystem through collaboration with investors, state governments, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). She said this approach will allow local airlines to conduct full-scale maintenance, reduce operational costs, and retain revenue within Nigeria.

Kuku revealed that FAAN is currently executing a 22 to 24-month capital renewal programme with partial government funding and internally generated revenue. She emphasized that aviation remains highly capital-intensive, making private collaboration crucial for long-term infrastructure sustainability.

“We can’t depend on government funding alone,” she explained. “The private sector must play a role, and we are seeing increased interest from investors who recognize the potential of Nigeria’s aviation market.”

She added that the current reforms have strengthened investor confidence, enabling the development of new MRO zones and expansion of existing hangars. According to her, these facilities will form the foundation of a modern maintenance ecosystem capable of serving both domestic and regional fleets.

“There’s been a large focus on building MRO facilities within the market,” she stated. “We’re also working to ensure there’s a good market for spares as we expand infrastructure. This will make Nigeria a regional hub for maintenance and aircraft support.”

 Kuku said this dependence drains foreign exchange and limits local employment opportunities, underscoring the urgency of building a homegrown maintenance ecosystem.

“Our goal is to keep both the work and the revenue in Nigeria,” she said. “We want to build a maintenance ecosystem that employs local engineers and attracts global certification.”

She noted that the vision for aviation infrastructure goes beyond aircraft maintenance, encompassing cargo, logistics, and trade. Nigeria’s growing agribusiness exports, she said, require temperature-controlled facilities and reliable logistics support to strengthen the air cargo value chain.

Kuku maintained that regional hub development must integrate services such as MRO, spares supply, and cargo handling. This, she explained, would ensure that Nigeria’s airports evolve into fully functional commercial and technical centers capable of supporting sustainable growth.

She also linked FAAN’s efforts to the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), explaining that local MRO capacity will help improve fleet turnaround and enhance reliability for African carriers. “When airlines can maintain their fleets within Africa, turnaround times improve, reliability increases, and we create a sustainable maintenance ecosystem for intra-African connectivity,” she said.

Kuku added that Nigeria’s domestic airlines have begun expanding international operations, citing the new Abuja–Heathrow and Abuja–Gatwick routes as indicators of industry progress. She said such growth must be backed by a solid technical base that allows airlines to sustain international standards.

Beyond technical development, Kuku said FAAN is investing in passenger-focused technology, including e-gates for arrivals and departures and contactless travel systems. She explained that the goal is to build an airport environment that matches travelers’ lifestyles while ensuring operational efficiency.

“We are building an airport environment that matches the lifestyle of our travelers,” she said. “As we modernize, we’re ensuring that our technology solutions are seamless, user-friendly, and aligned with passenger expectations.”

She concluded that sustainable aviation in Nigeria depends on coordinated policy, private investment, and technical development. The establishment of a reliable maintenance ecosystem, she said, is key to achieving competitiveness, safety, and self-reliance in the region’s aviation industry.

“A strong maintenance ecosystem supports safety, enhances airline confidence, and attracts international partnerships,” she said. “With the right focus, Nigeria can become a regional leader in both passenger experience and technical excellence.

 

Another core strategy is driving trade, particularly in agribusiness, by partnering with state governments to ensure airports have the necessary temperature-control facilities to boost cargo traffic.

In lieu of a single national carrier, Kuku explained that FAAN’s strategy involves building up domestic airlines so they can reciprocate on Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs). "

She celebrated a recent milestone in this effort, announcing the launch of new Abuja-Heathrow and Abuja-Gatwick routes by a local Nigerian carrier, calling it “a big success for us that we haven’t seen before.”