Airports strategic assets driving economic integration, says FAAN
By Kelvin Osa Okunbor Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku has emphasised that airports are far more than transit points, but strategic assets driving trade,
By Kelvin Osa Okunbor
Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku has emphasised that airports are far more than transit points, but strategic assets driving trade, tourism, employment, and economic integration.
Kuku disclosed this on the sidelines of the Airports Council International (ACI) regional conference and exhibition in Luanda, Angola.
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She said :” The future of African aviation will depend not only on infrastructure, but also on partnership, innovation, resilience, and the courage to think long term.”
Mrs Kuku highlighted fresh data underscoring Nigeria’s rising aviation profile.
According to rankings presented at the conference, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, recorded an 11.8 percent growth in air traffic movements in 2025—the fastest among Africa’s top airports. In cargo, Lagos ranked among the continent’s leaders with a remarkable 34.4 per cent increase, the highest within the top 10.
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On domestic passenger traffic, two Nigerian airports—Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos—placed among Africa’s top 10.
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Citing Official Airline Guide data, Mrs Kuku noted that Nigeria is now Africa’s second-largest domestic passenger market, with over 10.5 million passengers and 10 percent year-on-year growth.
She said: “These are not just statistics. They reflect the growing strategic importance of Nigeria as a key aviation, logistics, and commercial hub on the continent.”
She called for a new breed of airports that are agile, financially sustainable, technologically enabled, and customer-focused.
