By Cosmas Okereafor
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is set to get rid of those who are doing businesses illegally along the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), road in Lagos. Managing Director of the agency, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku gave the hint few days ago during a press parley with the media on activities marking the 2025 FAAN Safety Week which started on Monday 10th, stretching to Wednesday 12th November 2025, in Lagos. Kuku listed tanker drivers, limousine drivers, bus drivers and other categories of business owners as problems to aviation safety along the access road.The FAAN boss emphasised that, there is urgent need for such business owners to move away from the spaces they are occupying, pointing that, if not done that FAAN will be left with no option than to embark on forceful action which it has not applied all these years.
Explaining that FAAN is accommodating both friendly and unfriendly neighbours, the FAAN boss said “We also have neighbours who are major encroachers and I believe that is what we see on the airport road. There are lots of cars, vehicles there. I want to use this opportunity given that we have the media here. We have reached out to various organizations such as the tanker drivers, association of limousine drivers parks and all the buses along the airport road and we have continously informed them via letters around the need to move away from these locations because it is unsafe”. “Secondly, it is hazardous to the environment. I think it really does not beautify our environment. Over the last few weeks, we have embarked on potential sanitation exercise to try and understand who the inhabitants are and to give them further notice.
We have also engaged Lagos State Government and we are working very closely with LASG and federal security agencies as well to start to clear up that space. This is another way to appeal to all to move away from those locations because we will embark on forceful action”, she added. Mrs Kuku stressed that Abuja and Lagos airports are actually centered in locations where you have high-dirt environment, a situation that poses safety risks for many.According to her such environmental degradation provides poor environment for them and also increases activities of wildlife which can create potential bird strikes for the airlines. The FAAN helmsman however, maintained that FAAN will continue to create public awareness across the neighboring communities to see how they can maintain a safe and secure environment.
Talking on the way forward the MD stressed that; “There should be a better understanding for awareness for both the legislators, regulators, operators and airlines. This can put us all on a level playing field where everyone understands the rules, regulations and the procedures and we are able to manage affairs in an environment that make sure we are safe and secure”. Kuku who also held an interactive session on the operations and practices of Safety Management Systems (SMS), with the Directors said her deliberations were targeted at keeping her management team abreast of international best practices in aviation safety.In her remarks on the FAAN Safety Week 2025 with the theme: “Navigating Conflicts for a Safer Aviation Industry in Nigeria.”, Kuku assured that, this year’s theme was carefully selected to reflect their ongoing commitment to safety, collaboration, and the professional well-being of everyone within Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.The FAAN boss affirmed that, aviation safety does not depend solely on technology, stressing that human factors such as communication, trust, and teamwork play a crucial role.
