Following criticism from passengers and industry stakeholders, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reiterated its commitment to removing obstacles preventing Nigeria’s aviation sector from operating at par with global benchmark countries.
Passengers and stakeholders have highlighted issues such as harassment, touting, and extortion—particularly by customs officers, airport staff, and security personnel—which undermine safety and dent international confidence in Nigerian aviation protocols.
The persistence of manual baggage search desks operated by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has come under particular scrutiny. Though FAAN attempted to dismantle these stations and replace them with automated scanners, NCS officers resisted, leading to tension that escalated into a physical confrontation over a faulty scanning unit.
The clash occurred between customs officers and FAAN’s Director of Aviation Security, Igbafe Afegbai, during efforts to install the machine at the Lagos cargo terminal. FAAN staff subsequently issued a 14-day ultimatum demanding the removal of the area customs controller and relevant redeployments by the federal government.
In an earlier incident, Skyway Aviation Handling Company dismissed a staff member for allegedly extorting N100,000 from a passenger, highlighting the scale of illicit behaviors FAAN aims to curb.
To address these issues, FAAN has acquired and begun installing advanced screening equipment, including six Orion 927DX X-ray scanners capable of high-resolution, four-color detection of explosives, narcotics, and other contraband. Each participating security agency—Customs, NDLEA, immigration, quarantine, and aviation security—will have dedicated monitors for transparent, automated baggage screening. Physical inspections will only occur in designated areas monitored by CCTV once alarms are raised.
FAAN plans to replace all manual luggage tables with these scanners and ensure proper operational training to eliminate opportunities for corruption.
Security training has also been ramped up following notable breaches, including an intruder found on an apron at Kano airport. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has mandated the implementation of the Basic STP123 aviation security course as a standard for all aviation security personnel.
FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku has announced that airport staff are being enrolled in the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme, a multi-module certification aligned with international standards and delivered in partnership with ICAO, ACI, and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. The programme spans two to three years and focuses on areas such as operations management, passenger facilitation, crisis response, and technology integration.
FAAN’s Director of HR and Administration, Lukman Emiola, emphasized that the organisation is rewriting its internal operational framework to foster a culture of safety, precision, and global excellence across its workforce of more than 10,000 employees.
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