More than 500 airport professionals, policymakers, aviation experts, technology providers and other industry stakeholders from across Africa have converged on Abuja as Nigeria hosts the 35th Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Annual General Assembly, Board and Committees Meetings, Regional Conference and Exhibition.
The weeklong event was officially declared open on Tuesday by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
The conference, themed “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,” is focusing on the future of airport development in Africa amid growing demands for financial sustainability, operational efficiency, digitalisation, resilience and improved passenger experience.
The gathering also provides Nigeria with an opportunity to showcase developments across its airport network while examining the progress and challenges facing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), under its Managing Director and Chief Executive, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku.
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Financial Sustainability Remains A Major Challenge
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the conference, Secretary-General of ACI Africa, Ali Tounsi, identified financial viability and the rapidly changing operating environment as major challenges confronting airports across the continent.
Ali Tounsi said about 80 per cent of African airports are not financially efficient, raising concerns about the ability of airport operators to generate enough revenue to maintain infrastructure, technology, safety, security and passenger services.
He also pointed to digitalisation, natural disasters, accidents, environmental changes, skills and human resources as issues airport operators must increasingly prepare for.
Ali Tounsi stressed that the future of African airports would not depend on infrastructure and funding alone, saying digitalisation, environmental concerns, human capacity, skills and preparedness would also play important roles.
Nigeria’s Airport Development In Focus
The issues are particularly relevant to Nigeria, which is currently undergoing significant airport infrastructure renewal.
Under Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, FAAN has focused on runway rehabilitation, airfield lighting, terminal facilities and other safety critical infrastructure across the country.
The emerging approach to airport development goes beyond physical infrastructure to include passenger experience, technology, operational efficiency and commercial sustainability.
Mrs Olubunmi Kuku Calls Conference A “Call To Action”
Delivering her welcome address, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku said the gathering should be viewed as more than just a conference.
She described it as a strategic mandate and a call to action for the continent.
“It is a call to action. It also reflects the journey we are collectively undertaking as a continent,” she said.
Mrs Olubunmi Kuku noted that several airlines had resumed operations in Nigeria since Keyamo assumed office, with more expected to return to the Nigerian market.
She, however, cautioned that growth in passenger traffic and capacity should not overshadow the structural challenges facing African aviation.
According to her, Africa accounts for only about one per cent of global air traffic despite having 18 per cent of the world’s population. She added that load factors remain below global averages while the financial viability of African airlines remains fragile.
“In Nigeria alone, with a population exceeding 220 million, we record approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports,” she said.
Mrs Olubunmi Kuku identified funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, high operating costs, fragmented connectivity and pressure to maintain low airport charges while providing world class facilities as some of the major challenges confronting the sector.
Media Urged To Focus On Key Aviation Issues
FAAN Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Henry Agbebire, urged the media to look beyond the ceremonies and personalities associated with the conference and focus on the substantive issues confronting African airports.
The emphasis comes at a time when African aviation is facing critical questions around financing, infrastructure, technology, environmental sustainability, resilience and human capacity.
With airport operators, policymakers and industry experts gathered in Abuja, the conference provides a platform for stakeholders to examine how African airports can improve performance, strengthen resilience and respond to the changing demands of the aviation industry.
