Key players across the country’s aviation sector have continued to acknowledge what they called the bold steps so far taken by the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku to mainstream the economic reforms of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu led government in the aviation sector.
A former general manager of Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati while speaking on the giant strides so far achieved by the first female managing director of the authority yesterday, cited how since her coming, Kuku has been able to introduce a number of initiatives that are capable of improving passenger traffic in the sector.
According to Dati, Kuku as the managing director of FAAN besides raising passenger traffic, has performed well in areas such as increasing revenue generation,
non-aeronautical revenue increase and overall positive performance that will contribute a significant chunk to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figure of N2.43 trillion internal revenue generated by the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2023.
Since she shattered the glass ceiling to emerge as the first female Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku has taken bold steps to mainstream the economic reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration in the aviation sector.
Still speaking, Dati commended Kuku for proving her capacity and competence to deliver and show deep appreciation of the need to make Nigeria work by seamlessly keying into Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda by prioritizing safety in airports beyond just compliance to encompass financial, reputation, and operational advantages.
“This she has done through re-engineering productivity in all the departments, enhancing efficiency of personnel through adequate training, and deploying the right tools for service delivery in a critical sector like aviation. The Bola Tinubu administration has left no one in doubt that it is no longer going to be business as usual but that all sectors must rise to contribute their quota to the overall economy.
The former image maker of the authority emphasized the ability of the FAAN MD to swiftly realise enough that the onerous task of applying revenue from just two viable airports to service and operate 26 others across the length and breadth of the country was not sustainable.
“Being a financial wizkid with a BSc in Finance and MBA in International Finance & Strategic Management from the University of Illinois and DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, respectively, she rolled her sleeves and applied her over two decades of remarkable career marked by strategic insight and innovative thinking into handling the situation.
“Rather than allow things to drag, Kuku set out to diversify FAAN’s revenue streams by aiming to increase non-aeronautical income through the building of strategic partnerships and incentives to boost airport revenue generation. She quickly connected the dots between revenue and safety standards and thereafter embarked on massive manpower training to build safety standards.
Among her achievements according to Dati include: being able to sign the reviewed FAAN Corporate Safety Policy that spelled out her commitment to accountability and responsibility to safety, prioritising airport safety as a multifaceted springboard to significantly contribute to passenger confidence, operational efficiency, compliance with regulations, economic growth, and the overall well-being of both travelers and staff.
Kuku, he said is creating the necessary foundation to reposition FAAN to ultimately contribute to a safer and more reliable flying experience in tandem with the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo’s master plan to standardise aviation infrastructure.
“As a team player, she has earned the respect and admiration of her management team who keyed into her policy of empowering staff and stakeholders with prerequisite training in adhering to procedures and technology in line with regulatory bodies like NCAA, ICAO, ACI, and other sister agencies to enhance world-class protocols based on the latest industry advancement and best practices.
“Staff have benefitted from a curriculum of courses in comprehensive strategies and practices through continuous training and safety education through ICAO mandatory programs including safety, security personnel, operations, and aerodrome fire-fighting.
With the Airport being a hub for activities that facilitate global connections, courses were introduced in Runway Maintenance, Safety Management Systems (SMS), Safety Drills, Upgraded Infrastructure, and Technology.
To further boost its commitment to protecting human lives, securing infrastructure, and fostering confidence among travelers and employees alike, trainings were conducted in Reporting Systems, Foster a Safety Culture, Employee Engagement, Coordination and Communication, Public Information/Messaging, Regular Safety Audits and Assessments amongst others.
Dati equally recalled the successful engagement of FAAN MD with the Lagos State Government to partner in the construction and rehabilitation of roads within the airport vicinity to ease the stress of passengers which has received high applause.
“Aviation stakeholders have applauded Kuku’s dogged pursuit beyond compliance with standards, to boosting confidence of travelers and the airport community. The massive renovation of Terminal 1, popularly known as GAT from her lean resources has brought relief and comfort to passengers. She has also embarked on the reconstruction of the International Airport road; roads leading to the airside; as well as drainages. Surveillance systems are also being installed to boost safety passenger confidence and comfort.
Kuku’s giant strides have not only received recognition in Nigeria with several awards in her kitty including FAAN being ranked among the Top 5 Most Improved Agencies in Nigeria by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the global aviation industry is shifting its focus to Nigeria. The prestigious global body, Airport Council International (ACI ) honored the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria with two prestigious safety awards during her Africa Conference held in South Africa. These are no mean achievements awards in less than just one year in office”, Dati added.
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