What FAAN MD, Kuku Has Achieved, By NAFSA
The National Leadership of the Nigerian Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA) says it had barely spent a year after their inauguration before the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku was appointed and that the first meeting of the Association with .Mrs Kuku in January 2024 turned out to be the turning point for NAFSA and an epoch-making event for FAAN. Other subsequent engagements have also turned out fruitful and the results are visible to the blind and audible to the deaf.
The Nigerian Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA), being the foremost Safety Association in the aviation association basks in the euphoria of its collaboration with FAAN. According to the National President of NAFSA, Comrade Ugbeikwu Sunday, “in the almost 30 years of NAFSA’s history, NAFSA has not experienced this kind of developmental and progressive strides as it has experienced under the administration of Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku. Being a Private Sector Expert, she has brought the wealth of the private sector experience to bear in FAAN and the results are out there for everyone to see today.”
The plethora of the unprecedented milestones achievements of Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku which have direct bearing on the Firefighting Occupation cannot just be considered as a fluke. They are the outcomes of the conscious and deliberate efforts of a core professional who is poised to reposition FAAN and leave an indelible mark in the annals of the history of FAAN. The NAFSA and the FAAN have made significant strides in their collaborative efforts, yielding numerous benefits for the FAAN Firefighters and the aviation industry as a whole. Some of the notable milestones achieved through this partnership are highlighted below.
Enhanced Health and Well-being: The implementation of the Annual Cancer Awareness Programmes and Medical Check-ups for FAAN Firefighters demonstrates a high sense of commitment to their health and well-being. The Annual Firefighters Medical Certification Exercise which is currently being carried out across the airports is a testament to Mrs Kuku’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of FAAN Firefighters. Mrs Kuku said: “I will take seriously the health of my workforce because only a healthy workforce can guarantee a productive workforce.”
Professional Development and State-of-the-Art Training Facilities: The implementation of NAFSA’s Biennial Conference Communique by ensuring the prompt payment of course/training allowances has enhanced the professional development of FAAN Firefighters. Unlike it was hitherto obtainable whereby Firefighters would attend training without the payment of their training allowances, Mrs Kuku has ensured that every trainee receives his/her training allowances before the training invitation is sent to them. This gesture has ensured that the Firefighters are in the right frame of mind during their training. This is a deliberate departure from the past, whereby some Firefighters would even borrow money to attend trainings. Furthermore, Mrs. Kuku ensured that the Competency Training which was hitherto undertaken at ERSI/ASECNA, Douala, Cameroon is now undertaken at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology(NCAT) Zaria, where the Multi-purpose Aircraft Fire Simulator is put to use and has provided FAAN Firefighters with access to cutting-edge training facilities.
Improved Working Conditions and Guaranteed Job Security: The reversal of Temporary Redeployment of Firefighters to Enugu and Port Harcourt Airports which was later turned to a Permanent Posting for FAAN Firefighters has improved their working conditions and guaranteed job security. The Redeployment which depleted 13 Airports to satisfy only two airports was criticized and condemned by NAFSA and the eventual reversal of the posting eliminated the uncertainties surrounding the jobs of the Firefighters as the Firefighters returned joyfully to their various stations after almost one year of sojourn in Enugu and Port Harcourt Airports.
Strategic Partnerships: Mrs Olubunmi Kuku must be lauded for her strategic collaborations with other Agencies in the Aviation Sector. The strategic partnership of FAAN and NCAT has fostered a fruitful relationship between the two organizations, thereby promoting knowledge sharing and best practices towards achieving the overall safety of the aviation sector and adherence to certain safety principles. The collaboration of FAAN with NCAT was the game changer for FAAN Firefighters. Before the collaboration, FAAN Firefighters have no hope of either going back to Douala or going to Zaria for their Competency Training. The strategic engagement of FAAN/NCAT in May 2024 gave rise to the NCAT Training which has come today, courtesy of Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku’s strategic partnership with NCAT.
Strict Compliance to Safety Principles: Many may be wondering why Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku is determined to renovate the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Not many people know that the MMIA Lagos, which was constructed for over 40 years have long been compromised in terms of safety. Aside from the discomfort to the passengers, the building is long overdue for an overhaul. A lot of things have been compromised and there is no better time to overhaul their building other than now. The audacious decision of the MD/CE FAAN to renovate the ancient terminal is laudable because NAFSA has since identified the building as a safety concern and reported same to Mrs. Kuku.
Promotion to Management Cadre: The 2025 Management Promotion was the largest in the history of FAAN. Management Promotion, though not a right, but a privilege, has always caused some mixed feelings amongst the staff members every Promotion Year, but the vast majority of those who took the 2025 Management Promotion were magnanimously promoted, courtesy of the goodwill of the Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku. For instance, for the first time in the history of FAAN, about 125 Firefighters were promoted from GL 14 to GL 15, an unprecedented feat which NAFSA considers as major breakthrough occasioned by the good rapport of the Association with FAAN Management.
When asked for further comments, the NAFSA National President, Comrade Ugbeikwu Sunday said: “How could NAFSA have achieved anything without Mrs. Kuku? She is the game changer. She has been the backbone of NAFSA. Her support and commitment to the success of NAFSA have been immense. We consider her as a God-sent, because we would not have achieved anything as National Executives without her support and cooperation. She understands and prioritizes safety and that made our job easy for us. She is phenomenal.”
These great milestones are a testament to the successful collaboration between NAFSA and FAAN. We appreciate the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN for her commitment to achieving these milestones, which have significantly impacted the lives of FAAN Firefighters and the aviation industry in general.
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PHOTO CAPTION: L-R: National President, NAFSA, Comrade Ugbeikwu Sunday, Managing Director/CE, FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku and General Secretary of NAFSA, Comrade Akinwunmi Emmanuel. during one of the association’s engagements with the Chief Executive
