Changing FAAN’s name now makes no economic sense

Barring any last minute change, the amendments to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Bill Gazette in SB196 before the National Assembly, if approved, may lead to the replacement of the word ‘authority’ in the present name of the organization with the word ‘administration’.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu in his submission at the public hearing of the FAAN bill 2019 in Abuja, declared: “We seek to change the name of the authority to Federal Airports Administration of Nigeria. This change is based on the observation of the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) that the country should have only one authority in the aviation sector and that the said authority should be the regulator of the sector. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is the regulator of the aviation sector in Nigeria. To avoid conflict, we seek this name change”.

Right from the floor of the National Assembly, many key players described the excuse given for the proposed change of name as unnecessary and another attempt to add to the burden hanging on the shoulder of FAAN.

FAAN to many is already being overburdened with the challenges of having to maintain 23 airports out of which only four are viable and still oversee the state owned airports that are being pushed to them by the states after failing to continue with the burden of making them functional.

Running these airports obviously is not a bread and butter issue even when they are not receiving additional funding from the federal government. In other words, for an authority that needs to directly maintain 23 airports with the huge infrastructural facilities, keep them safe and secure for operations and pay over 5,000 workers, every kobo counts, presently.

It’s no longer secret that FAAN like other agencies are mostly battered by the COVID-19 pandemic which has aggravated the challenges and efforts of the present FAAN management to keep the airports running even when the public expects so much from the authority.

With all these responsibilities hanging on the shoulders of FAAN with the additional crisis thrown at it by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other internal challenges including the huge amount the domestic airlines owe it, asking the same FAAN to now add the burden of changing its nomenclature at this time may not sound economically wise.

Asking for the authority to drop the ‘authority’ in its name for ‘administration’ is not going to be that easy at this period in view of the humongous funds that will be required to achieve that.

The feelers coming from key players is that the idea of name changing should be in the least priority of FAAN at the critical period as the procedures that will be involved in changing the name are so enormous considering the number of items that must be changed to reflect the new name.

Right from documents like letterheads, sign posts, all vehicles carrying the insignia of FAAN as an airport authority to issuing notice to its partners across the world. All these and many more will consume huge amounts which will still come from the lean purse of FAAN.

All these are unnecessary ventures that can be avoided at this critical period. The excuse that retaining the word authority in FAAN is clashing with the role of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as the only recognized regulatory authority in the country during this economic hardships is unwise.

Since the two sister agencies have been carrying out their functions, there has been no time that the issue of a clash in their roles cropped up as they have different callings.

The act that established the NCAA empowers it to oversight civil aviation matters. The NCAA is the apex regulatory body, overseeing the activities of all airlines and their workers, airports, airstrips and heliports, navigation aids, all service providers including the airport authority and the air traffic service in line with civil aviation laws of the country.

FAAN, on the other hand, is a service organization statutorily charged to manage all commercial Airports in Nigeria and provide service to both passenger and cargo airlines. Generally, to create conditions for the development in the most economic and efficient manner of air transport and the services connected with it.

With the well spelt out limitations of the two and with no complaints of hijack of functions coming from any of the leadership of the NCAA and FAAN, it will be in the best interest of the sector, and FAAN in particular, to let the status quo remain so far it does not affect safety.

There are many countries across the world whose aviation sectors operate a similar policy seamlessly. FAAN presently needs help in cash and kind and not unnecessary burden of changing name.

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