Airport Reporters

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...

Airport Police Command arraigns 14 suspects over theft at MMIA  …Ogunbode commends Joint Monitoring Task Force for swift action The Airport Police Command has arraigned fourteen suspects arrested for stealing building materials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The suspects were apprehended on April 20, 2026, between 1900hrs and 2000hrs at the Terminal 1 buidling currently undergoing renovation, by the Joint Monitoring Task Force (JMTF), a collaborative security team comprising personnel of the Airport Police Command and other key security agencies, during a routine patrol. Prior to the arrest, project managers overseeing the renovation works had reported persistent cases of missing building materials within the Terminal 1 axis. This prompted intensified surveillance and patrol operations around the area. On the evening of the incident, credible intelligence revealed the presence of unauthorized individuals within the restricted construction zone, necessi...

  Court sentences 14 cable vandals , adjourns related theft cases  A Magistrate Court in Lagos has sentenced fourteen individuals, following their arraignment on multiple charges linked to cable theft and vandalization at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport terminal 1 construction area. The suspects were apprehended at about 1900 hours on April 20, 2026, following a swift and intelligence-driven response by FAAN’s security architecture, working in close coordination with the Joint Military Task Force (JMTF) and other security agencies deployed at the airport. Delivering judgment, the court sentenced the defendants to one month imprisonment on the first count, six months on the second count, and twelve months on the third count.  The sentences are to run concurrently. The case has been adjourned to June 16 for further proceedings, particularly in respect of the defendant who contested the charges. In a separate matter, two individuals charged with the thef...