Kuku Commended for Airport Infrastructure, Manpower Development

Chinedu Eze

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has been commended for the improvement of infrastructure at some of the nation’s and embarking on massive training of the personnel within the short period she was appointed to head the agency.

Under Kuku, the major airports in the country witnessed the renewal and rehabilitation of critical facilities, as FAAN management prepared the international airports for ICAO certification.

While Abuja and Enugu have been certified by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kano airports are getting ready for certification, which NCAA approves in accordance with ICAO regulation.

Former Commissioner for Information, Plateau State and erstwhile General Manager, Public Affairs, FAAN, Yakubu Dati who commended Kuku, pointed out that being the first woman to head the agency, she has shown unusual competence and inimitable efficiency.

“I must say that for the first time we are having a lady as the managing director and chief executive. So within such a short time, in fact just barely 11 months, she has been able to get this in the kitty, the recertification of two airports which was not done for more than four years ago, the putting Nigeria on the global aviation map. For instance, FAAN received two awards at the ACI (Airport Council International) conference in South Africa just last quarter of the year. And by that recognition she was also made a board chairman of Africa region of the Airport Council International,” he said.

Dati said that Mrs. Kuku’s achievements have confirmed the fact that women can sometimes do it better; so, Nigeria should take the affirmative action more seriously.

He also noted that since the Tinubu administration started, there has been greater development in the aviation industry, recalling the removal of Nigerian from non-compliant countries and the Cape Town Convention Aviation Working Group moving Nigeria’s rating from 49 to 70.05 and later to 75.