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FAAN takes over management of Bauchi airport

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken over the management of the multi-billion naira Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport (SATBIA) making it one of the federal-owned airports in the country.

The handing over and taking over ceremony took place on Tuesday when the FAAN Management led by Managing Director, Kabir Yusuf Mohammed paid an official visit to the State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir at the Government House.

The State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau while commenting on the development, said that the facility was officially adopted by the FAAN sometime in May 2023 while the formal and ceremonial part of the agreement took place.

The Deputy Governor who stood in for the Governor explained that the decision was not a managerial failure on the part of the state government but a move to make the airport more viable and effectively operational.

He stressed that the state stands to gain more from the development as FAAN will look for a more viable avenue to make the airport busy thereby opening up the state for more investment opportunities considering the fact that there will be more flights into the airport.

The Deputy Governor then commended FAAN for agreeing to take over the airport at this time assuring that the government will always be ready to contribute to its viability.

Speaking to newsmen during the official handing over ceremony, the Managing Director of FAAN, Kabir Yusuf Muhammad said that the move was meant to ensure effective management and economic development of Bauchi State.

Muhammad added that the government of Bauchi has agreed to hand over the facility to the Federal Government for effective management not because it has failed but rather, to make it a more viable venture.

He also said that before now, the Airport has been jointly operated by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and the Bauchi State Government as most of the personnel working there are FAAN staff.

According to him, “In a most recent discussion, looking at how to optimally use the Airport, the Bauchi Government graciously accepted to cede the operation of the airport to FAAN not because they cannot operate it, but they believe that handing it over to the federal government will open it to more opportunities.”

He explained that Bauchi and other states of the North East would benefit more from the new arrangement as the airport would be expanded and equipped with modern aviation equipment.

The FAAN MD disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had approved some substantial amount of money as a refund to the Bauchi State Government in order to enable it to use it for further development of the state.

Mohammed said, “It may not certainly be the amount of money the Bauchi State spent on the initial construction and maintenance of the Airport. But I know it is a sizeable amount to be used for other projects.”

He assured that FAAN will do everything possible to make the airport a viable venture within a short period to make it an envy of not only Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa.

The FAAN MD also assured that no staff, presently working at the airport will lose his or her job saying, “already, the majority of the staff are employees of the FAAN. We will need more hands to operate the airport optimally, we will engage all those working here now.”

It will be recalled that the multi-billion naira airport was built and commissioned by the administration of former Isa Yuguda in 2013 and has been under the joint management of the state and federal governments before the new development.

The airport has become one of the airports used for the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia as states like Plateau, Yobe, Borno and Gombe had at one time or the other used the airport for airlifting of their pilgrims.

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