When Mrs Olubunmi Kuku was appointed Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria in December 2024, she inherited an immediate operational crisis: the international runway at Murtala Muhammed International Airport — Runway 18R — was shut down for repairs, forcing all traffic onto the single domestic runway in an arrangement that significantly degraded operational capacity at Nigeria's busiest airport.
Less than two years later, Nigeria achieved a 91.45 per cent Effective Implementation score in the 2026 ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission — the highest in the country's aviation history, well above the global average of 70.4 per cent — with all five Nigerian international airports certified to ICAO standards for the first time ever. This is the story of Kuku's tenure at FAAN.
Infrastructure Transformation
Kuku's most visible achievement has been the acceleration of infrastructure investment at Nigerian airports. The ₦712 billion rehabilitation of MMIA Terminal 1 — the most ambitious single aviation infrastructure project in Nigeria's history — was launched under her leadership, with the terminal fully closed for a 22-month programme that will rebuild every internal system from scratch. The MMIA runway rehabilitation that created the crisis Kuku inherited was also completed, restoring full dual-runway operations at Lagos. Airport cab fleet upgrades were directed across FAAN's network, with an October 2026 deadline for all airport taxi operators to meet upgraded vehicle standards.
Safety and Certification
The aerodrome certification programme was completed during Kuku's tenure. Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu received its aerodrome certificate in April 2026, making it the fifth and final Nigerian international airport to achieve formal certification — directly contributing to the record ICAO validation score. Kuku also oversaw FAAN's collaboration with WFP's UNHAS programme to establish a humanitarian aviation facility at Maiduguri Airport, and the MMA2 concession dispute resolution announced at the Lomé Convention.
Challenges That Remain
Despite significant achievements, challenges persist. The ₦23.94 billion debt owed by FAAN to NAMA remains outstanding. The electrical spark incident at MMIA Terminal 3 in July 2026 was a reminder that maintaining operational safety at an airport undergoing simultaneous construction is a constant challenge. And airport encroachment — addressed through a collaborative multi-agency security initiative in July 2026 — continues to require sustained attention. The full story of Kuku's tenure will ultimately be told by whether the MMIA Terminal 1 rehabilitation delivers on its promise when it opens — and whether the private capital attracted through concessions and partnerships translates into the sustained improvement in airport quality that Nigerian passengers have long deserved.
