How FAAN is rebuilding Nigeria’s aging runway network

For decades, Nigeria’s airport terminals have attracted public attention while many of the country’s critical airside assets quietly aged under the weight of increasing aircraft movements, changing climate conditions and years of deferred capital investment, some runways had exceeded their design life.

Taxiways required extensive rehabilitation, airfield lighting systems needed modernization, engineering interventions became increasingly urgent as airport traffic continued to grow.

Under the leadership of Olubunmi Kuku, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Authority has embarked on one of the most ambitious programmes of airside rehabilitation and safety-critical infrastructure renewal in recent years, a transformation that is reshaping not merely airport facilities but the very foundations of aviation safety in Nigeria.

Far from being a collection of isolated construction projects, the ongoing rehabilitation reflects a deliberate shift in philosophy, one that places safety before aesthetics, resilience before convenience and long-term infrastructure sustainability ahead of temporary repairs.

It is an approach that aligns closely with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies infrastructure renewal as a catalyst for economic growth, investor confidence and national competitiveness, with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as one of the key institutions translating that vision into reality.

Kuku has repeatedly emphasised that sustainable airport development cannot be achieved by focusing solely on passenger-facing facilities while neglecting operational infrastructure.

One of the administration’s earliest milestones was the successful completion of the rehabilitation of Runway 18R/36L and Taxiway B at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The project restored a critical operational asset that had long required major engineering intervention and significantly improved the airport’s capacity for uninterrupted flight operations, particularly during night-time services.

Across the country, similar attention has been directed towards runway maintenance programmes, pavement assessments, airfield lighting upgrades, engineering improvements and preventive maintenance systems designed to strengthen operational resilience across FAAN managed airports. For airlines, dependable airside infrastructure translates into improved operational reliability, reduced delays and lower maintenance risks, for passengers, it means safer journeys.

FAAN has estimated that approximately N580 billion would ultimately be required to comprehensively rehabilitate runways across its airport network, a figure that underscores decades of accumulated infrastructure deficits while also highlighting the enormous capital commitment needed to safeguard the future of Nigerian aviation.

Rather than concealing these realities, the Authority has embraced transparency, recognizing that effective infrastructure management begins with an honest assessment of existing conditions. This openness reflects a broader culture of institutional accountability that has increasingly characterised FAAN’s transformation agenda.

Globally, airport certification has become one of the strongest indicators of operational excellence. Certification demonstrates that an airport satisfies rigorous international requirements relating to infrastructure, emergency preparedness, operational procedures, safety management systems and continuous oversight.

Nigeria’s recent progress in aerodrome certification reflects years of coordinated investment involving FAAN, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other aviation stakeholders committed to aligning domestic operations with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. This is precisely where FAAN’s infrastructure programme intersects with the broader objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The rehabilitation of airside facilities is far more than a programme of engineering works; it has become the defining expression of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) current transformation agenda, demonstrating how sustained investments in safety-critical infrastructure are strengthening operational efficiency, enhancing regulatory compliance, improving passenger confidence, and laying the foundation for a safer, more competitive aviation industry.

By prioritising airside rehabilitation, investing in engineering excellence, strengthening institutional capacity and aligning airport development with international best practices, the Olubunmi Kuku administration is quietly laying the foundations for a safer, more resilient and globally competitive aviation sector.