Ganduje Chairs New FAAN Board: Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo Inaugurates Eight-Member Team for Airport Transformation

Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Kano State Governor, has been officially inaugurated as the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). The inauguration ceremony, presided over by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, took place in Abuja on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, marking a new chapter for the nation’s airport management.

Dr. Ganduje leads an eight-member board tasked with repositioning FAAN and enhancing the operational efficiency of Nigerian airports. Other distinguished members inaugurated include Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku (Managing Director/CEO of FAAN, serving as Vice-Chair), Ms. Dorothy Duruaka, Ahmed Ibrahim Suleiman, Engr. Nasiru Muazu, Dr. Omozojie Okoboh, Engr. T. P. Vembe, and Mrs. Bridget Gold, who assumes the role of Secretary to the Board.

In his charge to the newly constituted board, Minister Keyamo emphasized their critical mandate, urging them to prioritize safety, security, and passenger experience as guiding principles. “You are not merely figureheads; you are the architects of our aviation future,” Keyamo declared. He tasked the board with upholding transparency, fostering innovation, and ensuring efficiency in airports, while striving to make them “symbols of national pride and progress.”

Key areas of focus for the new board, as outlined by the Minister, include strengthening airport security measures in line with international best practices, promoting sustainable development through environmentally responsible and economically viable growth, and significantly enhancing customer satisfaction and overall service delivery. Keyamo also stressed the importance of fostering robust collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental agencies, international organizations, and the private sector to drive the growth of Nigeria’s aviation economy.

Responding on behalf of the board, Dr. Ganduje expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the appointment. He pledged the board’s commitment to studying the FAAN Act diligently to ensure adherence to legal boundaries and avoid conflicts with the executive management. “We will ensure service delivery, because that is the whole essence of FAAN,” Ganduje affirmed, promising to work assiduously towards elevating the standards of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The inauguration of the FAAN board, which sees Dr. Ganduje assume this significant role just days after his resignation from the APC national chairmanship, underscores the administration’s strategic appointments aimed at leveraging experienced hands for key sectors. The new board steps in at a crucial time, tasked with overcoming infrastructure deficits and navigating the evolving dynamics of global aviation to deliver world-class airport services to Nigerians and international travelers.