The outgoing year 2023 would definitely take its rightful place in the history of aviation as the period that witnessed the appointment of a woman, Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku as the substantive managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the government agency saddled with the responsibility of running the over 30 airports of government across the country in line with international standards.
In the history of FAAN and other agencies for that matter, the menfolk have been running the show even though the agencies could conveniently boast of higher qualified women endowed with all the wherewithal and intellectual capacities to manage the agencies excellently.
While reasons responsible for the exclusion of women in the highest hierarchical sphere of the various agencies continues to be a mystery, the good news is that this jinx has finally been broken with the appointment of the latest FAAN Chief Executive.
Definitely, history will equally not forget the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for breaking the long years of conservatism when all the previous governments had pegged the highest position a woman can attain in the agencies to that of a director.
Therefore, Kuku’s coming can be likened to that of a child of destiny who has been predestined to step into a certain role at a set time to carry out a special assignment.
And because of this special privilege, it is obvious that the aviation community in Nigeria and the global scene must have placed high premium on the first female MD of FAAN.
Obviously, the new FAAN managing director, apart from representing the government and the over 200 million Nigerians, is an ambassador of women in the different corporate entities.
Kuku who should see herself as playing the litmus test syndrome, must by now realize that her role as the topmost personality in FAAN will subsequently be used to judge the capacity and capability of other women.
In other words, her ability to carve a niche for herself in her position will definitely be used as the yardstick with which fellow women may be considered for similar appointments when similar opportunities rear its head in a society where men call the short.
Therefore, the coming of Kuku to FAAN may equally be intentional in view of the status of the organization and the sensitive roles resting on its head being the manager of the airports.
Cheerfully, Kuku’s appointment to FAAN happens not to be her first coming to the sector as she has had a brief stay in a sister agency, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
Going through her profile, Kuku whose remarkable career spans over two decades with her influence extending beyond the corporate realm into strategic sectors of the economy, which played a pivotal role in driving transformative growth, notably in her advisory capacity for Strategy & Infrastructure Development while in NAMA.
For sure because of her familiarity with the system, it will not take her long to get herself acquainted with the lorry loads of challenges hanging on FAAN.
Without sounding an alarm , FAAN as a organization has a lot of challenges dragging it down and therefore, the managing director needs not waste time in hitting the ground running.
Her ability to tackle the numerous inherited load of crisis bedeviling FAAN which became a rocket science to her predecessors including the litany of litigations existing between the organization and her concessionaires with particular reference to the strained relationship between FAAN and Bi-Courtney will go along way in affirming the strength of women in an environment where all odds seem to be against them.
It is known to many stakeholders that FAAN as an agency of government has become a national cake for all ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ where all opportunists including the political class and government officials come to ‘grab and grub’ at the expense of its survival.
Some of the business agreements entered into by previous FAAN managements which subsequently boomeranged and gave birth to litigations therefore urgently need to be looked into by the present MD in other to revive the image of the government that has been battered amongst private investors.
Up to this time, there are so many loopholes through where the revenues that are supposed to be generated to the coffers of the government are being siphoned with the collusion of some workers in the FAAN.
It is also unfortunate that the Lagos airport which is known to be the highest revenue generating airport has become an eyesore to the traveling public because of the obsolete structures adorning it.
Most of the facilities like the conveyor belts, public address systems that are not audible enough on one side, and the shameful activities of the different uniform personnel including FAAN and officials of other agencies who have turned the airport to extortion ground require the attention of Kuku.
Of utmost importance is the fact that the morales of the workers have been lowered due to the previous illegal appointments and recruitments that have placed questionable personnel above those who merited such appointments.
Without doubt, the job of the FAAN MD is not going to be easy as she may run into some booby traps to be set by those whose source of illegal enrichment may be blocked by her policies.
Why welcoming the FAAN MD, it is hoped that she will use her time to resolve the legal cases against FAAN and block all leakages through which the organization is being defrauded.
Above all, expectations are very high with all stakeholders waiting to witness how the first female MD intends to prove her worth which will go a long way in positioning fellow women for similar appointments in the sector.
