FAAN’s Envisioned Airports of the Future

Chinedu Eze writes on the vision of the management of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria unveiled recently at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Portugal and how the agency plans to actualise it When the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, took the stage at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, she brought more than a policy brief—she carried the weight of a nation’s aviation ambitions and the expectations of millions of Nigerian passengers. Her message was clear: Nigeria’s airport modernisation must be purposeful, inclusive and rooted in the realities of the Nigerian people. According to the Chief of Staff to the Managing Director of FAAN, Osas Amadin, with passengers drawn from more than 250 language communities, Nigeria presents a unique challenge for airport modernisation. So, FAAN’s strategy must account for linguistic diversity, varying levels of digital literacy, accessibility requirements and the distinct needs of different passenger segments. As Onabanjo-Kuku emphasised, the objective is not simply to deploy advanced technology, but to implement fit-for-purpose, user-centric and operationally effective solutions that improve the passenger journey across age groups and demographic profiles. Speaking during the panel session, themed: ‘Defining the Airport of the Future—Technology, Partnerships and People’, Kuku outlined several strategic priorities shaping Nigeria’s airport ecosystem. Purpose-Driven Aviation Funding FAAN continues to advocate for a stronger link between airport-generated revenue and reinvestment in critical aviation infrastructure. Passenger-related charges should support their intended objectives—aviation security systems, terminal infrastructure upgrades, airside facilities and landside transport improvements. This approach, the Managing Director of FAAN said is essential to strengthening infrastructure sustainability, improving service delivery, and ensuring that aviation-sector revenue contributes meaningfully to the airports’ long-term operational and capital requirements. Multimodal Connectivity and Accessibility Onabanjo-Kuku said the integration of airports into wider urban transportation networks remains a critical component of airport development. Abuja’s existing rail connection provides a foundation for improved landside accessibility, while Lagos is advancing plans for a modernised rail system with five stops across the Murtala Muhammed International Airport complex. The proposed connectivity is intended to facilitate passenger movement between terminals and improve access to cargo facilities. Such multimodal integration can reduce dependence on road transport, improve journey-time predictability and support more efficient movement of passengers, airport personnel and freight. Modernisation and Safety Assurance Over the past three years, Nigeria has invested significantly in strengthening airside infrastructure across its primary international airports. Key interventions include resurfacing runways at Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu, and Maiduguri; extending runways at two airports; and improving airfield lighting systems. These interventions are fundamental to maintaining pavement integrity, enhancing runway operational readiness, improving airfield visibility and supporting compliance with applicable aviation safety and operational standards. Sustained investment in airside infrastructure is also necessary to accommodate evolving aircraft operational requirements and maintain reliable airport operations. Equitable Resource Allocation The Managing Director of FAAN noted: “Nigeria’s airport network presents a distinctive capacity-planning challenge. Approximately 80 per cent of national airport traffic is concentrated at three airports, with Lagos accounting for an estimated 68 per cent of total traffic. While this concentration reinforces the need for targeted capacity expansion and operational optimisation at high-volume airports, FAAN must also balance demand-driven investment with the broader objective of maintaining infrastructure and service standards across the national airport network. Accordingly, continued attention to the other 19 airports, alongside the five airports supported by the Authority, reflects the importance of a coordinated network-development strategy that considers regional accessibility, economic development and the long-term viability of airport infrastructure beyond the busiest hubs.” Passenger Processing Efficiency Onabanjo-Kuku stated that the comprehensive rehabilitation of Lagos MMIA Terminal 1 is a key component of Nigeria’s airport modernisation programme. The works include reconfiguring Immigration and Customs counters, modernising technology, and upgrading associated infrastructure to enhance passenger processing and the overall terminal experience. “Operationally, effective terminal rehabilitation should improve passenger-flow management, streamline processing interfaces, reduce congestion at critical touchpoints, and better integrate technology into terminal operations. The ultimate objective is to create a more functional, resilient and passenger-responsive terminal environment while supporting the operational demands of one of Nigeria’s most significant international aviation gateways. In her own words, “In the last three years, we have focused on rehabilitating our major airports and the primary international airports. For Lagos specifically, Terminal 1, as the flagship airport, is being completely gutted. We are not just expanding Terminal 1, we are making it a lot more efficient,” she stated. Technology as Strategic Imperative A central theme of the discussion was that airports cannot deploy technology through a uniform, one-size-fits-all model. Its effectiveness depends on the operating environment, passenger demographics, infrastructure maturity and the specific challenges each airport is designed to address. As Onabanjo-Kuku emphasised, technology must be accessible, intuitive and responsive to the needs of the people it serves. This principle should inform the deployment of passenger information systems, self-service technologies, digital processing solutions and other airport automation initiatives. Building Future-ready Amadin also stated that discussions at the World Aviation Festival reinforce the need for an integrated approach to airport development—one that combines digital transformation, infrastructure renewal, sustainable financing, multimodal connectivity, safety assurance, and inclusive passenger experience design. He said that for Nigeria, the airport of the future must be technologically advanced without becoming operationally complex or inaccessible to the passengers it serves. “Success will depend not merely on the sophistication of the systems deployed, but on their reliability, interoperability, suitability for the local environment and measurable contribution to safety, efficiency and service quality,” he said. He also asserted that Nigeria’s aviation development agenda is therefore grounded in a clear strategic principle: technology must be purpose-driven, infrastructure investment must deliver operational value, and the passenger must remain central to airport transformation. “As someone who works closely with the Managing Director and Chief Executive and witness the dedication of FAAN’s leadership and staff daily, I can attest that this is not mere rhetoric—it is a working philosophy that guides every decision we make. Nigeria’s aviation sector is not just participating in the global conversation on the future of airports; we are contributing a distinctly Nigerian perspective that places our people at the heart of innovation. “The airport of the future is being built today in Nigeria, and it will be built for Nigerians first,” Amadin further said.