FAAN Veterans Launch FAANET to Strengthen Airport Administration, Aviation Reforms
Former senior officials and veterans of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have formally unveiled the Former Airport Administrators Network (FAANET), a new professional body aimed at contributing to the continuous improvement of airport administration and aviation development in Nigeria.
The debut of FAANET marks a significant entry of retired airport administrators into organised advocacy and advisory engagement within the aviation sector.
The association is made up of experienced former FAAN personnel who have served the nation in various technical, operational, administrative and managerial capacities over several decades.
At its inauguration, Comrade Jolly Iyotoide Ndidi, a Retired General Manager, Human Resources, FAAN, was announced as the pioneer Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), while Comrade Adetomiwa Simeon Kolawole, Retired General Manager, Credit Control, FAAN, was named Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
Other pioneer members of the Board of Trustees include Engr. Sadiq Muhammad Tijjani, Retired Director of Engineering Services, FAAN; Hajia Salamatu Baiwa Umar-Eluma, Retired Director of Human Resources, FAAN; Alhaji Ibrahim Daiyabu Sulaiman, Retired General Manager, FAAN; Comrade Awolowo Okogbo, a retired officer of the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS), FAAN; and Mrs. Nwokoye Ebele Angela, a retired officer of FAAN’s Operations Directorate.
Speaking on the formation of the network, Comrade Ndidi disclosed that FAANET has been duly registered with and recognised by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), giving it legal standing to operate as a professional and advocacy body within Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
According to him, the organisation is poised to play an active role in shaping policies, strengthening institutional frameworks and fostering continuous improvements in airport administration across the country.
“FAANET will become very active in helping to shape and foster continuous improvements in airport administration in Nigeria,” Ndidi said.
While outlining the objectives of the network, the FAANET BoT Chairman commended the current management and staff of FAAN for recent infrastructural upgrades and process improvements at airports nationwide. He, however, stressed that sustained progress would depend largely on adequate funding.
Ndidi urged the Federal Government to fund FAAN sufficiently, noting that proper financial support is critical if the authority is to deliver world-class, state-of-the-art airport facilities and services comparable to global standards.
He further explained that FAANET’s vision is anchored on harnessing the collective experience, expertise and institutional memory of retired airport administrators who have spent their productive years building and managing Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure.
In a statement issued by the Board of Trustees, FAANET explained the motivation behind its formation:
“We saw the need to give a voice to the collateral wealth of knowledge we have garnered in our service to our fatherland, as airport administrators spanning many years, in order to connect the past with the present.”
Comrade Ndidi added that it would be a disservice to the nation for veterans of the aviation sector to remain passive after retirement, given the enormous investment the country has made in their training and careers.
“It will be unfair to the country that has invested so much in our lives to sit back without giving back to the system,” he stated.
He noted that FAANET’s intervention would be largely solution-driven, drawing from experiential knowledge and rich institutional memory to address persistent challenges within the aviation sector.
According to him, the network aims to sharpen existing systems and proffer practical solutions to the myriad problems confronting airport operations and management, offering perspectives shaped by years of hands-on experience.
The Board of Trustees also called on interested FAAN veterans across the country to come forward and actively participate in the activities of FAANET, stressing that the success of the network would depend on broad engagement and collective commitment.
As part of its debut, the Trustees expressed deep appreciation to several aviation veterans for their support and contributions towards the successful registration of FAANET.
Those acknowledged include Hajia Salamatu, Jolly Ndidi, Awolowo Okogbo, Mrs. Olonishakin, Emeto Phillips, J. B. Shalangwa, M. A. Akewushola, and Engr. Sadiq M. Tijjani.
The Board of Trustees concluded by congratulating all FAAN veterans nationwide on the formal registration and launch of FAANET, describing it as a collective platform for giving back to the aviation sector and strengthening Nigeria’s airport administration framework.
