Photo caption: Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo
The Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals has urged the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to push for the urgent formation and inauguration of governing boards for all other aviation agencies as a means to curb corruption and restore accountability in the sector.
The General Secretary of ANAP, AbdulRasaq Saidu, made this call over the weekend during an interview with journalists in Lagos.
Last week, Keyamo inaugurated the FAAN board, more than six months after its members were appointed by President Bola Tinubu. Dr. Umar Ganduje was named board chairman, with FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku as vice-chair.
Other board members include representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Defence, Tourism, and Aviation, as well as professionals from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology and FAAN’s legal department.
Saidu concluded by urging the Minister not to stop at FAAN but to ensure that all aviation parastatals are given functional boards to restore order and credibility to the sector.
He commended Keyamo for recently inaugurating the board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria but stressed that more needed to be done.
Saidu warned that the continued delay in constituting boards for other aviation agencies creates room for unchecked abuses, including illegal contracts, fraudulent employment practices, and mismanagement.
Saidu said, “The absence of governing boards violates the enabling Acts that established these agencies. Only properly constituted boards can enforce discipline, ensure due process in decision-making, and provide oversight to prevent corruption.”
He emphasised that the aviation unions, including ANAP, have consistently raised concerns about poor governance and lack of transparency within the aviation system.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly by appointing board members for all relevant agencies, in the interest of fairness and aviation safety.
Saidu also tackled the former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, for failing to inaugurate any boards during his eight-year tenure, despite appointments being made by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“ANAP raised the alarm several times under Sirika’s leadership, but nothing changed. That lapse has continued under the current administration, and it must be addressed now,” Saidu stated.
He argued that the absence of boards in recent years has allowed key decisions such as employment and contract awards to bypass due process, which opens the door to widespread corruption.
