At summit, Minister, Kuku seek visa restriction removal, highlight efforts on airport safety, touting, others

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said recent measures taken by the agency under the leadership of its  Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku have been justified by some issues that came up for discussions at the Wings of Change Focus Africa Conference (WOCFA) conference held  in faraway Johannesburg, South Africa this week

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo in his opening remarks at the event had earlier emphasised the need for the removal of visa restrictions to enable the free movement of people and goods across the continent, stating that to achieve this, there is a need to work with Foreign Affairs Ministers across Africa.

This underscored the step taken by the aviation authority to make Nigeria’s airports safe and accessible by genuine tourists and travellers, alongside efforts to eliminate touting and other forms of criminal conduct around the airports.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, said the Minister equally made a case for adequate funding of air transport in Africa.

Also speaking at the event, IATA’s Regional Vice President, Africa and Middle East, Kamil Al-Awachi called for the pursuit of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which constitutes part of FAAN’s recent programmes.

Issues discussed at the sessions on July 3rd (Day 2)  according to Orah also focused on the recent creation of a dedicated department for cargo services in FAAN as stakeholders she emphasised the need for improvement of trade facilitation, air cargo facilities and infrastructure, cargo compliance, closer collaboration amongst African countries and stakeholders as well as cargo specialised training for stakeholders.

She reiterated that there was emphasis on the digitalisation of passenger processing and how the embrace of robotics technology by airports in Africa would help to give customers further experience of speed, efficiency and excellence.

She further stated that technology use to drive efficiency has been part of FAAN’s priority agenda under the present dispensation.

There were also concerns expressed about staffing challenges associated with the embrace of technology as well as portability skills of aviation training in the airport system.

She said, “Stakeholders emphasized the need to train and engage fresh minds and to retain younger people in the airport system while encouraging professionals within the system to return to sustain the industry’s development. This applauds the recent massive training conducted by FAAN’s training schools across the country.”

FAAN’s recent effort to optimise and improve revenue generation, she hinted was equally justified by deliberations around airports revenue improvements.

“Generally, discussions at the IATA WOCFA Conference confirmed the fact that FAAN is on the right course in pursuit of its vision of becoming one of the best airport companies in the world.”

Wole Shadare