Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered a sweeping overhaul of the country’s aviation sector, suspending, removing, and replacing several chief executive officers under the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

The president’s decision, announced on Thursday, affects the heads of six key agencies and institutions in the sector, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

According to a statement issued by the spokesperson to the president, Ajuri Ngelale, the reshuffling is aimed at “upholding the safety, convenience, and comfort of the Nigerian people as primary and sacrosanct in all of their administrative activities.”

The president also demanded the immediate establishment of world-class policy design, implementation, and regulatory frameworks to reposition the sector in alignment with his Renewed Hope Agenda.

The statement said that the president anticipates that the new leadership across this critical sector will “leverage nuclear fusion, often touted the ‘holy grail’ of energy, to power a sustainable, clean-energy future.”

The president’s move comes amid growing concerns over the state of the aviation sector in Nigeria, which has been hit hard by the global economic downturn, security challenges, and infrastructural decay.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Nigeria’s air passenger traffic declined by 56.4 percent in 2022, compared to 2019 levels, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown measures.

The association also ranked Nigeria as one of the worst performers in terms of air cargo demand, which fell by 19.9 percent in 2022, compared to the previous year.

The poor performance of the sector has also affected the revenue generation and service delivery of the aviation agencies, which rely heavily on the fees collected from airlines and passengers.

In 2022, FAAN reported a 90 percent drop in its revenue, while NAMA recorded a 52 percent decline. The agencies also struggled to pay salaries and pensions, maintain facilities and equipment, and meet their statutory obligations.

The president’s action is expected to inject new life and direction into the sector, as well as boost the confidence of investors, stakeholders, and the general public.

The new appointees are:

• Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, the substantive Managing Director of FAAN, replacing Kabir Yusuf Mohammed.
• Umar Ahmed Farouk, the substantive Managing Director of NAMA, replaced Tayib Adetunji Odunowo.
• Alex Badeh, the substantive Director-General of NSIB, replacing Akinola Olateru.
• Charles Anosike, the substantive Director-General of NIMET, replaced Mansur Bako Matazu.
• Joseph Shaka Imalighwe, the Acting Rector of NCAT, replacing Alkali Mahmud Modibbo, pending the appointment of a substantive Rector.
• Captain Chris Najomo, the Acting Director-General of the NCAA, replacing Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, who has been suspended to enable the EFCC to investigate him and other senior officials in the NCAA.

The president also approved the commencement of a diligent process to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers for the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), which is expected to be a center of excellence for aviation and aerospace studies in the continent.

The president congratulated the new appointees and urged them to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in them. He also thanked the outgoing and suspended officials for their service and wished them well in their future endeavors.

The president expressed his optimism that the aviation sector will overcome its current challenges and emerge stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

Source: Business Day