Nigeria shakes up leadership of its aviation sector

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

In a major shake-up, the Nigerian government has suspended, removed, and replaced the heads of several state-controlled agencies in the aviation sector.

Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesman,announced in a statement that Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria,  approved the changes in line with his determination to improve the standards of Nigerian civil aviation, protect consumers, and promote the well-being of Nigerian passengers and other stakeholders.

The affected  chief executive officers under the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development include:

(1) Kabir Yusuf Mohammed, managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who  has been removed from office and replaced with Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku as the substantive managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

(2) Tayib Adetunji Odunowo ,managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), who has been removed from office and replaced with Umar Ahmed Farouk as the substantive managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

(3) Akinola Olateru, director-general of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB),   has been removed from office and replaced with Alex Badeh Jr. as the substantive director-general of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

(4) Mansur Bako Matazu, director-general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET),  has been removed from office and replaced with Charles Anosike as the substantive director-general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

(5) Alkali Mahmud Modibbo, rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT),  has been removed from office and replaced with Joseph Shaka Imalighwe as the acting rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), pending the appointment of a substantive rector, in accordance with Section 13(2) of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Act, 2022.

(6) Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has been suspended from office to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct an unfettered investigation into the activities of the suspended director-general and other senior officials in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. Chris Najomo assumes office as the Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority immediately.

Furthermore, President Bola Tinubu approved the commencement of a diligent process to be conducted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU).

The president anticipates that the new leadership across this critical sector will uphold the safety, convenience, and comfort of the Nigerian people as primary and sacrosanct in all of their administrative activities. Due to the high cost of underperformance in the sector, the president demands the immediate establishment of world-class policy design, implementation, and regulatory frameworks to reposition the sector in alignment with his Renewed Hope Agenda.

It added that all of the above-mentioned directives of the President take immediate effect.