Nigeria’s aviation market now ranks as the fourth-largest in Africa, with over 18.8 million domestic and international passengers recorded in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent.

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos—whose oldest terminal is being rehabilitated and upgraded recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s ten largest airports in September, with a remarkable 24.1 per cent increase.

This was contain in a  speech at the ACI Africa Regional Conference & Exhibition 2026 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, delivered by the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Vice President, Airport Council International Africa (ACI-Africa), Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku.

According to OAG data, she said Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from the same period last year—the fastest growth among Africa’s top ten aviation markets.

She said that this is driven by currency reforms, new aircraft leasing agreements, and growing confidence from international carriers looking to fly to Nigeria.

Mrs. Told the gathering that since the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development took office, several airlines have resumed operations in Nigeria, and more are expected soon.

She said these figures are not abstract. They represent millions of Africans connecting with family, doing business, accessing healthcare, and exploring opportunities.

In her words,”They represent livelihoods. They represent economic growth. They represent the future we are building together.”

“But let me be candid—as I have always believed leadership demands.

Growth alone is not the full story. Africa’s aviation sector faces structural headwinds that we must confront with clear eyes and collective resolve.”

Our continent,she emphasised accounts for just 1 per cent of global air traffic despite having 18 per cent of the world’s population. Load factors remain below global averages, and our airlines’ financial viability remains fragile.

“In Nigeria alone, with a population exceeding 220 million, we record approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports.”

“The potential is vast, but the gap between where we are and where we could be remains substantial.”

This is not a reason for despair—it is a reason for deliberate, strategic action.

The challenges are real: funding constraints, infrastructure gaps, high operating costs, fragmented connectivity, and the persistent pressure to keep charges low while delivering world-class facilities.

These are the very issues this conference has been designed to address.

Since 2023, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has been on a deliberate transformation journey—one that embodies this conference’s theme.

We have learned that transformation is possible even under constraint.

On infrastructure modernisation, we have prioritised safety and capacity.

We have rehabilitated a major runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, upgraded terminals, and improved airfield lighting while maintaining operations.

We have focused on the fundamentals: safe runways, functional terminals, and reliable systems.

On passenger experience, we have established the Passenger Experience Hub, a dedicated initiative to make speed, predictability, comfort, and human assistance central to our operations.

We recognise that airports are not merely infrastructure—they are experiences.

On digital transformation, we are deploying technology where it delivers measurable improvements.

Fast check-in systems, automated e-passport gates, enhanced security systems, and passenger-data analytics are transforming how we operate.

On quality management, FAAN achieved dual ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications in January 2026.

This is not merely a certificate on a wall—it represents a systematic commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, and continual improvement.

On human capital, we have invested substantially in training and professional development, with over 3,500 personnel reported as trained and certified through ICAO and ACI programmes.

On cargo and trade, we have retooled our Directorate of Cargo Development Services.

We are working with all relevant bodies to position Nigeria’s airports as logistics platforms for regional and international trade.

These achievements are evidence that even in the most challenging environments, disciplined prioritisation, strong partnerships, and a commitment to our people can deliver results.

The theme of this conference—Next-Gen Airports—invites us to think beyond incremental improvement.

It challenges us to consider what the African airport of 2036 should look like, and how we get there.

I believe five imperatives will define the next generation of African airports:

First, financial sustainability.

We must diversify revenue beyond aeronautical charges.

Our airports must become commercial ecosystems—anchors for logistics parks, hospitality, retail, data-driven services, and airport-city development.

The land and connectivity around our airports represent untapped economic potential.

Second, intelligent infrastructure.

We must invest not just in terminals, but in the systems that make airports work: predictive maintenance, reliable power, digital operational systems, and data analytics that inform decision-making.

The less visible investments often deliver the greatest returns.

Third, operational resilience.

Resilience is not an emergency plan—it is an organisational capability.

We must build redundancy, agility, intelligence, and communication discipline into everything we do.

The objective is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to reduce the time between disruption and effective response.

Fourth, human capital.

Infrastructure depreciates; technology becomes obsolete; but a competent, accountable, and continuously learning workforce multiplies every investment.

We must build a culture of continuous learning and develop aviation professionals who can manage the increasingly complex airport ecosystem.

Fifth, partnerships.

Government resources alone cannot meet the scale of investment, technology, and expertise required.

We must build commercially viable partnerships with private investors, airlines, technology providers, logistics companies, and development finance institutions.

As I look around this room, I see the leaders who will shape African aviation for decades to come.

I see the airport executives, regulators, financiers, technology providers, and airline partners who form the ecosystem that makes aviation possible.

The opportunity before us is extraordinary.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) creates the framework for integrated regional connectivity.

The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) offers the policy architecture for liberalised air travel.

The growing, young, digitally oriented African workforce provides the talent to leapfrog legacy systems.

I call upon governments across Africa to establish predictable, long-term, and commercially disciplined frameworks for airport infrastructure investment.

Give airport leaders clear mandates, predictable resources, room to manage commercially, and accountability for measurable results.

I call upon our development partners and financial institutions to recognise African airports as strategic economic infrastructure worthy of sustained investment.

The returns—economic, social, and developmental—are immense.

I call upon my fellow airport leaders to embrace bold, strategic prioritisation.

Not every desirable project can be funded at once.

But the essential projects—the ones that protect safety, build capacity, generate revenue, and strengthen resilience—must not wait.

And I call upon all of us to remember that aviation is ultimately about connecting people.

Every passenger who passes through our airports carries dreams, responsibilities, and aspirations.

We must build airports worthy of that trust.

Distinguished colleagues, the decade ahead belongs to Africa.

Our passenger growth is outpacing the rest of the world. Our infrastructure is being renewed. Our institutions are strengthening. Our connectivity is expanding.

The challenges are real, but so is our resilience.

We have operated through currency crises, health emergencies, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainty.

We have kept people and economies connected.

We have shown that African aviation does not merely survive—it adapts, innovates, and grows.

This conference is an opportunity to share our experiences, learn from one another, and chart a course for the next generation of African airports.

Let us leave Abuja with renewed commitment, strengthened partnerships, and a shared vision of what African aviation can become.

On behalf of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Government and people of Nigeria, and the Airport Council International Africa, I welcome you.

May our deliberations be productive, our partnerships be enduring, and our journey together be transformative.