FAAN Boss, Olubunmi Kuku, Honoured with CIAPS 2025 Excellence Award for Leadership and Transformation
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, has been named the recipient of the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) 2025 Excellence Award, in recognition of her outstanding leadership and transformative reforms across Nigeria’s airport system since assuming office two years ago.
The award was presented during the institute’s End-of-the-Year Public Lecture, Awards Ceremony & Cocktail, where CIAPS described Mrs Kuku as a distinguished professional whose work has significantly elevated operational standards within the aviation sector and contributed meaningfully to national development.
In its citation, CIAPS stated that the 2025 Excellence Awards were dedicated to recognising individuals whose impact extends beyond their immediate positions and influences broader societal progress.
It noted that Mrs Kuku’s emergence followed a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation involving performance reviews, sectoral nominations, and independent verification.
The institution affirmed that the FAAN Managing Director has over the years built a strong reputation as a visionary and results-driven executive, admired for her integrity, work ethic, and strategic leadership.
CIAPS further lauded her as a model of merit, commitment, and transformation – values that reflect the core principles upon which the institution stands.
According to the organisation, the award underscores her exceptional contributions to modernising Nigeria’s airports, enhancing operational efficiency, and implementing reforms aimed at strengthening the nation’s aviation infrastructure.
It highlighted her dynamic, forward-thinking approach, noting that her leadership continues to set new benchmarks for excellence within the aviation industry.
Represented at the event by FAAN’s General Manager, Administration, Mrs Oluwasola Awe, Mrs Kuku expressed gratitude for the honour.
She described the recognition as a motivation to further deepen her contributions to the sector and uphold the standards of professionalism expected of the nation’s airport authority.
Mrs Kuku attributed the achievement to the collective efforts of FAAN’s dedicated workforce, stressing her commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms, improving service quality, and positioning Nigeria’s airports among the finest on the African continent.
She also highlighted the significance of the agency’s Acculturation Programme, which is helping to reshape staff work culture, enhance skills, and instil values required for managing modern, technology-driven airports.
She added that her monthly excellence awards for outstanding staff performance have also strengthened morale, promoted accountability, and boosted the image of FAAN and the aviation industry at large.
The 2025 CIAPS Excellence Award reinforces Mrs Kuku’s prominence as a key driver of transformation within Nigeria’s aviation landscape, marking another milestone in her leadership journey.
