The National Assembly (NASS) has tasked the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to deploy technology to enhance security in the nation’s airports.
This call was made by the Senate and House of Representatives joint committee on aviation when it paid an oversight visit to the authority’s headquarters annexe in Lagos.
In his remarks, the chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Sen. Smart Adeyemi, commended FAAN for all it has achieved despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. He called on the FAAN to work more to improve airport security using technology and ensure that its human resources are well motivated.
Similarly, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, advised that the new international terminal in Lagos be re-opened as soon as possible since it is the most patronized gateway in the nation.
Nnaji, who said the committee is also interested in the welfare and well being of workers, noted that aviation is key to the socio-economic development of Nigeria; hence, it will assist to ensure that the industry is both robust and effective.
Earlier, the managing director of the authority, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, who led the FAAN management team to the meeting, expressed the authority’s appreciation to the committees, noting that the organisation has enjoyed the highest level of support, collaboration and co-operation from the committees in its bid to realise its vision of being among the best airport groups in the world. He appreciated the committees for their efforts at repealing the existing aviation agencies’ act and enacting new ones.
He highlighted some of the recent achievements of the authority to include; design, building and maintenance of interior spaces and assets at the MMA, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt terminals, construction of airline office block at Port Harcourt, rehabilitation of fire and rescue building at Port Harcourt, construction of aviation medical clinic and replacement of terminal building ceiling at the Enugu International Airport, construction and furnishing of a lounge at the new international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, renovation of aviation medical clinic at MMA, provision of COVID-19 canopies and other support structures across all the nation’s airports managed by the FAAN, continuous training and capacity-building for staff, amongst several.
Yadudu added that the construction of the Lagos new terminal has reached 98 per cent completion, and assured that it will be commissioned before the end of March 2022.
He further enumerated some of the challenges militating against the realisation of the authority’s goals to include capacity and contribution of airports to revenue generation, human capacity development, infrastructural gap, economic challenges affecting revenue generation, accumulated debts, rising operating and maintenance cost, amongst others. He requested the committee to assist and collaborate with the authority in finding lasting solutions to these challenges.
A statement by FAAN’s general manager, corporate affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, said the joint committees subsequently inspected projects.
