Olubunmi Kuku shines as star girl of the Tinubu administration as new board arrives

 

By Yakubu Dati

 

When Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the APC national chairman, was appointed chairman of the board of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) lots of questions were asked on the relevance of having a political figure at a highly technical agency like FAAN.

But gradually it has become clear why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is known for his knack for putting round pegs in round holes specifically nominated the APC chair to lead the board of the agency.

Now that the dust has cleared, it is obvious that it is a testimony of the high regard that the President has for both FAAN and the management team of the agency led by its Managing Director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, that informed the decision.

High calibre personalities who embody the image of the ruling party and who have the ears of the President do not get posted to chair the boards of agencies whose leadership styles are either at variance with the ideals of the ruling party and what the President holds dear or have nothing to showcase as achievements of the administration.

This is because, apart from the President, the National Chairman of the ruling party embodies the focus of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration.

Appointing the APC national chairman to chair the board of FAAN is therefore a clear endorsement of the transformation brought about by Mrs Kuku in the running of the agency and an extrapolation of how best to showcase the party’s ideals.

Within one year of her appointment, Kuku has through her performance demonstrated her capability to deliver the dividends and drive the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration.

It was upon the arrival of the chairman and other members of the board to the FAAN headquarters, that the reasons the President decided to appoint no less a personality than the national chairman of his party became clear.

The visit revealed that the President has noticed that FAAN led by its MD is one of the agencies that is delivering on the mandate of the administration to the latter and wants the party leadership of the party to use it as an example of what is working for the administration and to set an example for other agencies to emulate.

It is an acclamation that Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, MD/CEO of FAAN is not only doing well but has become the star girl of the current administration.

Ganduje’s appointment comes as a testimony that the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is serious about having an all inclusive government that blends expertise with experience and acumen with administrative sagacity.

As chairman of the board of FAAN, Ganduje who is known for his developmental strides in Kano, has equally hit the ground running by visiting FAAN to see things for himself.

During his maiden visit to both the headquarters of FAAN and the flagship airport, the Murtalla Mohammed airport on 18th February 2025, a lot transpired to show the confidence the Tinubu administration has in the leadership of FAAN.

Kuku, in her presentation to the Board gave a comprehensive overview of activities of all directorates of the agency and presented her scorecard for the past one year in which she highlighted the successes and challenges of the administration.

Thereafter the FAAN Management team, led by the MD/CE took the board chairman and his delegation on a tour of facilities of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, for an on-the-spot assessment.

From there it was evident that Kuku has used her experience as an astute administrator to change the narratives at the airports by making air travel a pleasant experience making it obvious how the first female Managing Director of FAAN through her agency could contribute to the realization of the $1 billion economy .

On assuming office, Mrs Kuku prioritized investments in airport infrastructure and technology integration which resulted in upgrades in terminals, lounges, and waiting areas.

Recognizing the importance of customer service, she implemented training programs resulting in a more welcoming and helpful environment.

Under Kuku’s leadership, FAAN has introduced more rigorous security protocols mainstreaming the deployment of advanced screening technologies and improved security personnel training to ensure a safe travel environment.

In the same vein, FAAN has developed comprehensive emergency response plans that are regularly reviewed and updated which ensures that airport staff are well-prepared to handle any incidents that may arise, thereby enhancing passenger confidence.

Her focus on safety and security resulted in integrating the reviewed FAAN Corporate Safety Policy that defined her commitment to accountability and responsibility to safety.

She also fostered collaboration between FAAN, sister agencies, the aviation regulatory body, security agencies, and emergency services to ensure a coordinated approach to airport safety and security.

In 12 months, the amiable and hard-working financial guru has accomplished several noteworthy achievements that have positively impacted the aviation sector and is strategically reengineering it into a commercially viable entity.

She led agency into delivering over N112 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government in line with the drive of the Tinubu administration for the viability of government agencies.

This is a significant improvement on the 2023 and 2022 remittance of 54 billion Naira (N54,297,487,089.01) and Thirty Billion Naira (N30,530,347,715.73) respectively.

As FAAN helmsman, Mrs Kuku laid a strong foundation for enhancing productivity and embarked on massive manpower training to build safety standards where more than 4,000 staff and critical personnel across 6 safety-critical courses were trained in the FAAN Training School which she upgraded in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Due to her positive intervention, the school is already attracting students from neighbouring African countries who are trooping in to make use of the facility.

Her infrastructural works like the reconstruction and rehabilitation of internal roads, terminals, conveyor belts, and eradication of touts and undesirable elements have also enhanced security and wellbeing of passengers at the airport.

Without any iota of doubt, Olubunmi Kuku’s first year as Managing Director of FAAN has been marked by a strong commitment to enhancing the operational efficiency, customer experience and improved revenue of the agency and deepening the road map provided by Festus Keyamo SAN, the Hon Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development in creating the needed synergy in line with the Renewed Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration for the industry to thrive.

The coming on board of the new board led by the APC national chairman would further bring out the best in the agency as both board and management complement each other.

• Yakubu Dati, is a former GM, Corporate Affairs, FAAN and can be reached on Yakubudati@gmail.com