FAAN MD Underscores Sports as Key to Staff Wellness, Productivity
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, has reaffirmed the importance of sports in promoting the physical fitness, mental alertness, and overall wellbeing of the Authority’s workforce, describing it as vital to sustaining productivity across the country’s airports.
Mrs Kuku stated this while declaring open the 2025 FAAN Annual Sports Competition held at the FAAN Secondary School, Lagos.
Represented by the Director of Airport Operations, Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood, the Managing Director said the sporting event was not merely a competition, but a platform to foster teamwork, discipline, and unity among the staff.
“Sports help in building resilience, promoting physical fitness, and enhancing mental alertness,” Mrs Kuku said, urging participants to uphold the spirit of fair play and camaraderie throughout the tournament.
She explained that the competition reflects FAAN’s commitment to developing a healthy and motivated workforce capable of meeting the daily demands of airport operations nationwide.
Capt. Mahmood, who led other senior officials including the Director of Human Resources and Administration, Dr Lukman Eniola, to perform the ceremonial kick-off, reiterated the need for teamwork and mutual respect among staff.
The opening ceremony was highlighted by a lively novelty football match between management staff teams – Team Blue and Team Yellow – composed of both male and female players drawn from various directorates.
The Authority noted that the novelty match aimed to boost staff morale, strengthen team cohesion, and foster a sense of community within the organisation – key factors in improving workplace productivity.
In addition to the football match, inter-directorate cycling events took place, featuring both male and female participants from different departments of FAAN.
The major football match of the day saw the Directorate of Engineering Services (DES) dethrone the defending champions, the Directorate of Aviation Security Services (DASS), in a closely contested encounter that ended 1–0 in favour of DES.
Speaking after the match, Dr Eniola commended all participating teams for their sportsmanship, describing the opening day as “a good start.” He noted that the competition had successfully achieved its goal of bringing staff together in a spirit of friendship and healthy rivalry.
He further explained that beyond promoting unity and wellness, the competition also serves as a talent-hunt platform to discover skilled athletes who can represent FAAN in future inter-agency and Civil Service Games.
“At the end of the competition, we hope to select a strong team that will represent FAAN at the Civil Service Games and compete favourably with other aviation agencies,” Dr Eniola added.
Last year, the Directorate of Aviation Security Services (DASS) clinched the championship title after defeating the Managing Director/Directorate of Legal Services (MD/DLS) 5–4 on penalties, following a 2–2 draw in regulation time.
The Directorate of Airport Operations (DAO) secured third place after edging out DES 6–5 on penalties in another thrilling fixture.
This year’s edition, according to the organisers, promises even greater excitement as staff from various directorates battle for glory, unity, and wellness – reinforcing FAAN’s belief that sports are essential in building a healthy, motivated, and productive workforce capable of sustaining operational excellence across Nigeria’s airports.
