Wednesday 14th September 2026.
Nigeria’s aviation market now ranks as the fourth largest in Africa, with over 18.8 million domestic and international passengers recorded in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent.
This statistic was disclosed by Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and vice president of Airports Council International Africa (ACI-Africa), during her welcome address at the ACI Africa Regional Conference & Exhibition 2026, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Addressing aviation executives, regulators, and international delegates under the conference theme, “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,” Onabanjo-Kuku highlighted the rapid momentum of Africa’s air transport recovery and Nigeria’s central role in driving regional connectivity.
Citing figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Onabanjo-Kuku noted that African airlines recorded a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in July 2026, outperforming the global trend, which saw an international demand decline of 0.1 per cent over the same period.
“While global international demand actually declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period, Africa was expanding. We are not just participating in global aviation recovery—we are leading it,” Onabanjo-Kuku stated.
Overall passenger demand across the continent grew by 5.2 per cent, positioning Africa second only to Latin America and the Caribbean, and significantly above the global average of 0.2 per cent.
Focusing on the host nation, the FAAN MD underscored the expansion occurring across Nigerian air gateways. She revealed that Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos recorded a 24.1 per cent increase in scheduled seat capacity in September 2026—the fastest growth among Africa’s ten largest airports.
Furthermore, data from OAG indicates that Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent surge compared to the same period last year. Onabanjo-Kuku attributed this capacity expansion to domestic currency reforms, new aircraft leasing arrangements, and renewed foreign carrier confidence following recent policy implementations under the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
However, she noted that structural bottlenecks persist across the continent. Despite holding 18 per cent of the world’s population, Africa accounts for just 1 per cent of global air traffic. In Nigeria, over 220 million citizens generate approximately 19.5 million passenger movements annually across 28 airports.
“The potential is vast, but the gap between where we are and where we could be remains substantial,” she said, identifying capital constraints, high operating costs, and infrastructure gaps as critical challenges.
Detailing internal reform measures undertaken by FAAN since 2023, Onabanjo-Kuku outlined multi-dimensional upgrades across Nigerian airport operations.
She said there has been major runway rehabilitations at MMIA Lagos, terminal refurbishments, and airfield lighting upgrades conducted while maintaining active flight operations.
According to her, FAAN hasestablished Passenger Experience Hub, deployment of automated e-passport gates, expedited check-in systems, and passenger data analytics.
Kuku mentioned that the authority has achieved dual ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management) certifications in January 2026.
Over 3,500 personnel trained and certified through ICAO and ACI programs, coupled with the retooling of the Directorate of Cargo Development Services to support regional trade, she said
Looking ahead to the evolution of African aviation over the next decade, Onabanjo-Kuku outlined five strategic imperatives necessary to establish resilient airport infrastructure which includes financial sustainability, intelligent infrastructure, operational resilience, human capital investment and strategic partnerships.
Onabanjo-Kuku also called on African governments and financial institutions to leverage regional initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
“I call upon governments across Africa to establish predictable, long-term, and commercially disciplined frameworks for airport infrastructure investment,” she urged, emphasizing that clear mandates and commercial autonomy are required for airport administrators to deliver world-class infrastructure across the continent.
Brilliant – exceptionally impressive