Muritala Muhammud International Airport, Lagos/ AYODELE ADENIRAN
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has set up a committee to map out plans to boost non-aeronautical revenue, to upgrade airports’ infrastructure nationwide.
This is as the agency said that it was going through some processes that would lead to the approval of its Aviation Security (AVSEC) to bear arms in 2019.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, told reporters that it was high time airport authorities on the continent diversified their revenue generations, away from aeronautic to non-aeronautic, like major airports around the world.
Dunoma said the new committee, which he chairs, consists of relevant directorates and departments responsible for revenue generation for FAAN, and would come up with a roadmap to enhance revenues for the agency.
He said FAAN, as an agency, would not be left behind in development of its airport infrastructure, stressing that the only way to tap into the myriad of opportunities in the system.
He explained that apart from Nigeria, other airport authorities across the continent were also deliberating on how to increase their non-aeronautical revenue services, which formed the theme of this year’s Airports Council International (ACI) meeting recently held in Egypt.
He said: “In Africa, we have not tapped into non-aeronautical sources and we are encouraging African airports to look at non-aeronautical revenue sources. Because, aeronautical sources of revenues have limitations; they are highly dependent on flight operations.
“The non-aeronautical revenues are being developed so much that they can go along with the aeronautical sources of revenues. This is what we want African airports to develop. Some papers were presented to guide African airports to develop that area.”
He explained further that before the end of the year, AVSEC personnel would have been approved to bear arms in order to increase their surveillance of the sector.
However, the department requires some trainings and approvals, especially from the National Security Adviser (NSA), stressing that background checks would also be carried out on some of the personnel before the approval.
“It is not everybody that will bear arms; this, we must apply. We cannot train ourselves. We have to be trained by those that have been long in the system; the State Security Service and the Nigeria police. Also, we want to make sure that we get certification from the office of the National Security Adviser.
“We have to go through these processes. As soon as we are through with all these, they can then be allowed to carry arms. We intend to do this before the end of the year.”
