FAAN

Lagos, Jan. 18, 2024: The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is relocating its headquarters from Abuja to Lagos its original base in the interest of the Authority and the nation.

This is contained in a statement on Thursday by Mrs Obiageli Orah, Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, FAAN.

Orah said the decision was taken after wide consultations with stakeholders which included aviation unions.

She said the public had made inquiries regarding directive of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, to return the Authority to Lagos, where it operated for decades until recently.

She listed reasons for reverting to include lack of office spaces for those that initially moved to Abuja hence their return to Lagos.

She added that the returnee staff were drawing out station allowances because their postings were Abuja but they were working from Lagos thereby increasing revenue losses.

“It was ill-advised in the first place to move the headquarters to Abuja when there was no single FAAN building in Abuja to accommodate all of them at once.

“Having returned to Lagos, the Authority would be liable to pay them DTA (Duty Tour Allowance) because technically they are working out of station as their official posting is to Abuja.

“The Minister has decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse.

“The other option open to the Authority was abandon the old FAAN building in Lagos to rot away and to use its scarce resources to rent an office space in Abuja for Millions of Naira of public money when in actual fact more than 60 per cent of its activities are in Lagos given the huge passenger volume of the Lagos airports.

“The stakeholders and the Minister decided against that and to save the country this waste,” she said.

Orah said the Minister had begun plans to get concessionaires to build befitting offices for the Authority in both Lagos and Abuja.

She explained that upon completion of the project, a final decision would be taken on the final location of the corporate headquarters.

She added that in the interim, FAAN will continue to manage its old buildings in Lagos which could accommodate all its Directors and senior officials.

“Abuja continues to have full operational offices and the Authority has not scaled down operations in Abuja one bit.

“It is just the technical decision of where the Authority has its ‘corporate headquarters’ that has been taken without affecting the structure of operations as they are for now in both cities.

“In the near future, when befitting corporate buildings have been built for the Authority in both Lagos and Abuja, a final decision will be taken as to the location of the permanent headquarters, depending on the exigencies of the time.

“The Authority wishes to assure members of the public that it will continue to act in their best interest and that ofthe country.

“The Honourable Minister is committed to taking decisions that are in the best interest of the country, especially as it concerns public funds and will not yield to ethnic or sectional sentiments that will derail this commitment,” she said.

Lagos, Sept. 1, 2023: The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has inaugurated a committee to explore more revenue potentialities in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Keyamo disclosed this in a statement issued by Mr Abdulahi Yakubu-Funtua, FAAN Director, Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, in Lagos on Friday.

The directive is sequel to the minister’s tour of facilities on Thursday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Keyamo said in the course of receiving briefing from the FAAN management that he observed that there were many potential opportunities for ramping up the revenue profile in the agency.

The minister said the committee had four weeks to come up with a comprehensive report on its findings.

“I have set up a committee under the chairmanship of the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Moribole.

“The committee is to look at advertisements at the airports, ticketing system at the FAAN facilities and waivers on payment of FAAN services.

“I have directed that these sources of revenue be explored to the fullest.

“The committee has four weeks to come up with a comprehensive report and proffer solutions,” he said.

Mr Felix Akinbinu, Regional General Manager,  Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) South West has promised to address the infrastructure challenges at the Murtala Muhammad International Airports (MMIA).

Akinbinu, who spoke with newsmen in his office at Ikeja on Monday, said  issues around cooling system and toilets would be resolved immediately.

He stressed that the age of the airport had contributed to the decays but assured that air chillers and other related facilities would be provided to ensure comfort of  passengers and seamless travels.

He revealed that a technical team, charged with assessment of facilities were identifying areas to be given attention to address all  shortcomings and inadequacies.

“Without being told, there are some visible challenges in the airport, we are capable of tackling them and we are taking assessments to address them as soon as possible.

“The moment when such is being done, there is no way we will compare how the terminal looks like and the current shape,” he said.

Akinbinu warned hoodlums and loiterers to stay off the airport as violators would be prosecuted.

He urged travellers to reduce the number of relatives escorting them to the airport while decrying illegal parking on adjoining roads to the terminal building.

“Illegal parking is a major challenge, the airport is becoming too small compared to the volume of operations.

“In all of these, we are addressing that and in the cost of our expansion we will get to that axis” he said.

On the poor state of the alternate road between training school and the MMIA terminal, Akinbinu, said  contract for the rehabilitation had been approved and awarded, adding that work would commence soon.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is seeking collaboration with relevant stakeholders in Edo to boost Cargo activities at the Benin Airport.

Mr Adamu Mohammed, an officer from Business Development Department, FAAN Lagos office, said in Benin on Thursday and said Benin Airport had been designated a Cargo Airport.

He said the upgrade of the Airport to a Cargo Airport was to boost economic activities as well as promote non-oil exports from the state.

“FAAN is more than ever ready for business; about 12 Airports including the Benin Airport has been designated as Cargo Airports.

“The beauty of this is that it will encourage grass roots production of Agricultural products and other non oil exports  in Edo.

“The initiative will create jobs and improve Gross Domestic Product as well as improve the wealth and lifestyle of people in the state”.

He said that structures were being put at the Benin Airport to enable it operate a 24 hour export procedure.

“Export processes and procedures in some of our Airports are now 24 hours; we now do export processes round the clock.

“This is not yet in Benin Airport, but we are putting structures such as temperature controlled warehouse facilities in place to make this happen soon.

He added that FAAN was automating activities at some of its airports to have seamless cargo processes with respect to efficient time and service delivery.

The roundtable discussion was organized to acquiant relevant stakeholders in Edo on ways to promote non oil exports from the state.

It had the Theme: Promoting and Sustaining the Growth of Non-Oil exports in Edo, Prospects, Challenges and Way Forward.