FAAN’s drive to end airport touting aims to improve infrastructure, passenger confidence

Olubunmi Kuku, managing director, FAAN

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

Over the years, touting activities at Nigeria’s airports have impacted negatively on the nation’s air transport sector’s rating.

From buying tickets and reselling at outrageous rates to unsuspecting passengers, to selling fake tickets and waylaying airport users, the activities of touts have been known to pose security risks to Nigerian airport environment generally.

It is often feared that some of the touts could or may have been used as informants and subsequently armed with classified information, which should never have been.

Experts have pointed to the fact that they represent insider threats, which any criminal or terror group would like to use for their benefits.

In spite of the dangers that they pose, touting activities have in recent years continued to exist as a perennial problem at the nation’s airports becoming very difficult to tackle, despite all the efforts put in by the authorities.

Usually these touts engage themselves in all sorts of activities – carry passenger’s luggage, make a reservation for their taxis and hotels, purchase and resell airline tickets at the airport. Besides, they extort money, collect illegal fees from passengers, engage in stealing and intimidation of passengers.

The unease caused by these reprehensible activities of touts to the nation’s air transport industry reputation is a red flag, especially as the federal and state governments try to lure potential investors and tourists to the country. Many years ago, it came to a point when it became a national embarrassment. Touting activities at the nation’s airports were then seen as a perennial issue that cannot be solved by any means.

However, with the coming on board of Olubunmi Kuku as managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), it is gradually becoming clear that the issue of touting will soon be a thing of the past.

Unsatisfied with the touts’ activities at the airports and giving her commitment to creating a seamless and pleasant experience for travellers, Kuku is already tackling the menace to prevent further exploitation of passengers and to protect air transport holistically.

Kuku has therefore taken decisive steps towards achieving her aim. To drive the process effectively, she is making plans to establish magistrate courts at international airports to expedite the legal process for prosecuting offenders.

Beyond the legal process, her administration has launched an extensive campaign to crack down on such illegal activities. One of such moves is the establishment of a dedicated task force aimed at ensuring a smooth and pleasant travel experience for all airport users. The task force has been mandated to enforce discipline among airport staff and maintain a culture of professionalism at all levels.

Kuku did not just stop at that; she went further to engage with all government agencies operating at the airports to ensure compliance with the anti-touting and anti-extortion measures.

In addition, dedicated phone lines and QR codes have also been set up to provide passengers with a means of providing feedback on their airport experience.

To also ensure that touting of any kind is completely eradicated, it is now mandatory that all airport personnel must prominently display their on-duty cards and name tags for easy identification and accountability.

However, these efforts put up to fight against touts have not gone unnoticed and have garnered commendations from stakeholders, including Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development.

In support of the impressive strategies the FAAN boss is adopting, regarding touting and extortion at Nigerian airports, Keyamo has also offered her his full support.

Now, there are billboards well mounted at strategic locations to warn airport users against touts and extortion with accompanying directives on how passengers who are harassed can notify the authorities.

With the efforts Kuku and her agency are putting into eradicating touting activities at the airports, there are possibilities that she can comfortably win the much fought war against touting activities.

No doubt, Kuku as a multi-talented, resourceful aviation industry professional with vast management expertise has shown that she is the right person to effectively manage the FAAN and to take the airports to the desired level and in line with global best practices.