Former senior officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have formally launched a new professional platform, the Former Airport Administrators Network, known as FAANET, marking a significant moment in Nigeria’s aviation governance space. The emergence of FAANET, led by a carefully constituted Board of Trustees, reflects a growing recognition that institutional memory and professional continuity remain critical to sustainable airport reform. At the centre of this initiative is the BOT, which is expected to provide strategic direction, ethical oversight, and policy clarity.
The FAANET BOT is chaired by Comrade Jolly Iyotoide Ndidi, retired General Manager of Human Resources at FAAN, with Comrade Adetomiwa Simeon Kolawole, retired General Manager of Credit Control, serving as BOT secretary. Other members of the BOT include Engineer Sadiq Muhammad Tijjani, retired Director of Engineering Services; Hajia Salamatu Baiwa Umar-Eluma, retired Director of Human Resources; Alhaji Ibrahim Daiyabu Sulaiman, a retired General Manager; Comrade Awolowo Okogbo, a retired officer of the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service; and Mrs Nwokoye Ebele Angela, formerly of the Operations Directorate. Together, the BOT brings decades of operational, technical, and administrative experience.
Beyond its formal leadership structure, the BOT also reflects a wider collective of experienced voices drawn from across FAAN’s institutional history. Other key members include Comrade Awolowo Okogbo, Mrs Olonishakin, Emeto Phillips, J. B. Shalangwa, and M. A. Akewushola. Their inclusion underscores the breadth of professional memory embedded within the BOT, reinforcing FAANET’s intention to operate as a disciplined advisory platform rather than a loose association of retirees.
According to the BOT chairman, FAANET has been duly registered and recognised by the Corporate Affairs Commission, giving it a formal legal identity and national standing. He explained that the BOT will ensure FAANET operates as a credible and disciplined body, capable of contributing meaningfully to airport administration discourse. Meanwhile, he commended the current FAAN management for visible infrastructure upgrades and process improvements across Nigerian airports, noting that these efforts demonstrate progress when leadership is aligned with operational realities.
Comrade Ndidi used the occasion to stress that the effectiveness of FAANET will depend largely on the strength and independence of its BOT. He argued that the BOT must serve not merely as a ceremonial structure but as an active custodian of values, institutional standards, and long-term vision. Therefore, he urged the Federal Government to fund FAAN adequately, warning that even the best policy ideas will falter without sustained financial backing for airport infrastructure and human capacity development.
The BOT chairman further stated that one of FAANET’s primary expectations is for experienced aviation veterans to step forward and engage actively in the organisation’s various organs. In his view, the BOT provides the framework through which these veterans can contribute responsibly, without undermining existing authorities. Instead, the BOT is designed to bridge generational gaps by connecting past operational wisdom with present-day administrative challenges in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
In a separate statement issued by the BOT, FAANET explained that the organisation was born out of a collective sense of responsibility to preserve and deploy accumulated professional knowledge. The statement noted that the BOT recognised the danger of losing decades of experience to retirement without structured channels for feedback and mentorship. By establishing a strong BOT, FAANET aims to ensure that this knowledge is curated, moderated, and channelled constructively into national aviation conversations.
Comrade Ndidi observed that it would be unfair for veterans, whose careers were shaped by public investment, to withdraw completely from national service. He maintained that the BOT exists precisely to prevent uncoordinated interventions by individuals, replacing them with a disciplined, collective voice. Through the BOT, FAANET intends to promote solutions grounded in real operational experience rather than abstract policy theory.
He added that the FAANET debut would help sharpen Nigeria’s airport systems by offering practical insights into persistent sector challenges. From infrastructure maintenance and safety culture to human resource management and revenue optimisation, the BOT is expected to guide FAANET’s interventions using rich institutional memory. This approach, according to him, will complement rather than compete with existing regulatory and management structures.
The BOT also expressed gratitude to several aviation veterans whose moral and logistical support made FAANET’s registration possible. While these individuals are not all serving on the BOT, their encouragement reinforced the belief that a structured trusteeship was essential for credibility. The BOT believes this collective goodwill underscores the sector-wide desire for stability, professionalism, and continuity in airport administration.
In congratulating all FAAN veterans on the successful registration of FAANET, the BOT reiterated its commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, and national service. It emphasised that the long-term relevance of FAANET will depend on how effectively the BOT upholds its mandate. As Nigeria’s aviation sector continues to evolve, the FAANET BOT may well become a quiet but influential force shaping policy conversations from an informed, experienced, and patriotic standpoint.
