The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has signalled regular unscheduled monthly inspection of airports nationwide to address the expectations of the travelling public who travel by air across the country.
This will be conducted by the top officials in aviation and other stakeholders, including the Minister, head of agencies, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), directors in the agency and members of the Senate and House Committees on Aviation.
The Minister said in a statement that during these visits, he would personally participate in various operational activities, demonstrating leadership and emphasizing the value of diligent service.
The Minister said he will also address airport staff, hear their complaints and encourage them to uphold professionalism and serve the public courteously.
This is part of the initiatives unveiled by Keyamo, aimed at addressing the expectations of the traveling public who daily utilize airports across Nigeria. It targets improvement of service delivery and environmental conditions at these facilities.
The Minister said he will appoint voluntary Special Airport Marshals in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, who are resident in cities where airports are located.
These Marshals, comprising public-spirited individuals drawn from members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and representatives of state governors, will conduct unscheduled visits to the airports. Their role will be to monitor staff conduct and assess the general hygiene and conditions of the airports.
The statement indicated that the voluntary Special Airport Marshals shall report directly to the Minister, who will issue necessary directives to FAAN based on their findings.
“With this initiative, the Minister will no longer rely solely on official reports from Airport Managers but will also consider independent observations from these voluntary Special Airport Marshals.
“This will bring an additional transparent layer of supervision to our airports as it will ensure that Airport Managers who receive monthly allocations for airport maintenance are held accountable for their responsibilities,” the statement said.
It also stated that over the coming weeks, the Minister will engage stakeholders in consultations to identify and appoint suitable volunteers for the Special Airport Marshal roles.
He said the names of the appointed Marshals will be publicly announced to ensure transparency and accountability.
“These initiatives underscore the Minister’s commitment to maintaining high standards of service delivery and cleanliness at Nigerian airports, ensuring they meet the needs of the traveling public,” the statement added.
