The aviation sub-sector of the Nigerian economy, under the 25-month period of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress-powered federal administration, has undoubtedly recorded a very impressive scorecard.
This success story is amply guided by the energetic and creatively intelligent young mind, Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria [SAN], who is Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
He has also been able to usher in people-oriented value-additions, in driving the development administration of the day-to-day functions of the Ministry.
These, he had done to the admiration of eminent Nigerians, who on a daily basis, offer patronage to flight transportation shuttles within and outside the shores of Nigeria, thus contributing to the economy of the Nigerian state.
Festus Keyamo, SAN, has equally gotten very positive commendation from his principal, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, over milestone achievements made so far in the nation’s aviation industry.
Perhaps, it is with a view to complementing these lines of achievement, that President Tinubu, recently constituted the new Board of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headed by no less an eminent Nigerian and scholar than, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who recently resigned as the National Chairman of the All-Progressives Congress party [APC].
As Dr. Ganduje assumes office as the Chairman, Board of Directors of the FAAN, there are lots of expectations from almost greater percentage of Nigerians, particularly, the few privileged ones, who patronise the airline flight services as the fastest means of transportation in their official and private engagements.
Ganduje, no doubt, set new defining pathways on how best he intends to make this Federal Agency, vibrant, resourceful, goal-oriented and financially self-sufficient, given the visionary ideas he wants to bring to the table as the new Chairman of the FAAN. Having hinted about his strategies and plans in action, as the new Chairman of the FAAN, which includes the culture of financial self-sufficiency, he aims to redefine the agency’s revenue streams apart from the traditional annual statutory budgetary allocations.
This brand of inward-looking plan-on-action, Dr. Ganduje, believes, would help immensely in repositioning the operational efficiencies of the agency, in service delivery as well as offering well defined and enhanced motivational incentives to the entire work force, being guided by the social psychology reality principle which says that motivational incentives in a workplace, have very strong ways of reinforcing highly proficient productivity in such motivated workforce.
Emboldened by his vast brilliance as a brilliantly Intelligent academician, bureaucrat and one-time local government administrator in the early days of the defunct military administration, Dr. Ganduje, a cerebral, balanced personality with high levels of cognitive, social and uncommon native intelligence has always had a knack for thoroughness in whatever official assignment schedules, he is assigned to handle.
Though he may not like any other appointee of the Federal Government, openly espousing what his internal strategies for the overall successes of the new Board of the agency would be, he certainly has his administrative ideas and concepts close to his chest, for now, until results start coming in.
What the new Board would certainly do for now is to begin initial study of the terrain, seek alternative ideas, concepts and also study how similar agencies, across the world, are run and proffer novel concepts that the management can leverage to move the agency forward.
The overall work plan of the new Board is between the Board members and the executive management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, headed by the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer.
Going by current global operational standards and practice, it would be a welcome conceptual idea, if the new Board headed by Ganduje, in line with the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA of the President Tinubu’s Government, moves to present to the President, Commander-In-Chief of the armed Forces, a new project proposals, that aim to exploring new revenue streams, including non-aeronautical sources such as retail, advertising, and real estate.
This move is expected to reduce the agency’s dependence on traditional revenue sources and increase its financial stability. Enhancing lines of productivity as well as moves to streamline internal operations with the Management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, would also be one of the worrying concerns of this organ of the Federal Government.
This includes implementing cost-saving measures and investing in technology to improve airport operations.
From the official records, the FAAN, is presently deploying institutional efforts aimed at engaging the key players of the industry to facilitate the transactional option of tidying up business opportunities under the platform of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP’s), with a view to expanding frontiers within the private sector stakeholders, designed to explore potential partnerships and investments, that would encourage indigenous investors and allied partners. This move is expected to bring in new capital and expertise, enhancing the agency’s ability to deliver world-class airport services.
Listening to his inaugural speech-processes or opening remarks on the day the new Board, was constituted, Dr. Ganduje, spoke with the wisdom of a philosopher, experienced technocrat and bureaucrat, when he said, “I hereby pledge the commitment and support of the board members in ensuring the progress of FAAN and the ministry of Aviation & Aerospace Development “.
In his words, “As a board, we will assist you in moving this ministry to the next level, stressing, “there is no doubt that we will study the Act that establishes FAAN in order to see our or determine our boundaries, or area of administrative limitations, so that we do not exceed our boundary”.
Guided by his knowledge-base, administrative experience and competences as onetime Local Government, Sole Administrator, Deputy Governor & Executive Governor, Ganduje offers a tie-back to the animated political cum social problem that had over the decades, brought about frictions between career civil servants and political appointees, particularly, between appointed Board Members and high ranking members of the Executive Management in any agency of government, when recalled, ” know this is a common problem between the boards and the executive management and the ministries”.
Speaking with the strides of an experienced classroom teacher, versed with the teaching methodologies of his students, Ganduje continued, “So we are fully conscious of this”, he cautioned.
On the proper way to go in pursuing their primary assignment schedules as Chairman and members of the FAAN, particularly in keeping to the institutional tenets that guide the policy directives of President Tinubu, RENEWED HOPE AGENDA, on Aviation & Aerospace Development, Dr. Ganduje, said, ” therefore, the board members and I will study the Act establishing FAAN, so that we do not go out of bounds, in order that we do not overshoot. But at the same time, we do not exhibit mediocrity by not doing what we are expected to do”.
Offering a note of elderly assurance, which a well, cultured, disciplined and responsible elder, would give to encourage personalities, in their middle and late adulthood, the immediate past National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, party,{APC} confidently re-assured thus “I will assure you that, in conjunction with the executive management, we as members of the Board, will ensure service delivery, would not be compromised””.
According to Ganduje, ” This is because service delivery is the whole essence of FAAN. Service delivery and this service delivery is becoming more and more complicated, because there are so many stakeholders, institutions, both at the national and the international levels. And we must be conscious of the fact that Nigeria, as a country, being a leading country in Africa, is looked up to for direction and positive examples. Therefore, it is for these reasons that we must exhibit our services to the best international standards.”
It is indeed projected that Dr. Ganduje’s initiatives, when implemented and harvested, could significantly boost Nigeria’s aviation sector, enhancing the country’s global visibility, economic complementarity, competitiveness and growth.
Thar the aviation sub-sector of the Nigerian economy, continues to define emerging pathways and directions, offering very critical role in Nigeria’s economic development as well bringing to the table huge harvest of economically viable SUCCESSES to deepening FAAN’s financial self-sufficiency model, with the efforts of the Dr. Ganduje led team, would come alive soon as a reality principle.
The Dr. Ganduje led Board at FAAN, represents an assemblage of corporate and experienced professionals with diverse competences, hopefully, in the spirit and direction of the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA of President Tinubu, as a source of encourage for goal-actualization, the FAAN Board team, would surmount the challenges ahead and create terrific opportunities that would write their name in GOLD, with the encourage of the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
All members of the new FAAN Board are aware that Nigerians look up to them to show or demonstrate the highest standards of honesty, transparency, and dedication in their official dealings, by using transparency and accountability as guideposts throughout the duration of their operational tenure.
The Dr Ganduje led Board, in synergy with the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, should also move to elicit strong fidelity towards maintaining a smooth-sailing stakeholder expectations, by assuring the Nigerian air transport travelers and allied users of air-related aviation service delivery engagements and services that their tenure would not be business as usual, as the Nigerian saying, goes.
The new FAAN team can and will certainly scale through the multiple complexities of public-private partnerships and relationships.
Dr. Ganduje’s visionary thoughts and projections for FAAN’s financial self-sufficiency can be seen as bold and hugely ambitious.
By the special grace of the Almighty ALLAH, it is an achievable projection, with an assured sense of optimism and exactitude, that when these noble ideas and projections, become successful, Dr. Umar Ganduje and his esteemed Board members would have created a lasting impact on Nigeria’s aviation sector and by inference, the broader national economy.
As the FAAN Board continues to work on implementing all plans-on- action, stakeholders are eagerly watching to see how the administrative leadership hold on the activities of the Board, define and structure the SUCCESSES as well as SCORECARD of the five-year tenure in the service of the father land, by pathfinding a new dawn in the nation’s aviation industry.
Credit:The Guardian