President Buhari approves renaming of airports, boards of aviation agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday approved the renaming of some airports after some prominent Nigerians in recognition of their individual contribution to the development of the nation in different sectors.

He also approved the constitution of Boards for the Agencies which are mostly institutional representations. Below are the new names of the airports as approved by the President:

Akure International airport – Olumiya Bernard; Benin International Airport – Oba Akinzua 11; Dutse International Airport – Muhammad Nuhu Sanusi; Ebonyi International Airport – Chuba Wilberforce; Gombe International Airport – Brigadier Zakari Maimalari; Ibadan International Airport – Samuel Ladoke Akintola; Ilorin International Airport – Tunde Abdulbaki;
Kaduna International Airport – Hassan Usman Katsina and Maiduguri International Airport – President Muhammadu Buhari.

Others include Markudi International Airport – Joseph Sarwuan Tarka; Minna International Airport – Mallam Abubakar Imam; Nasarawa International Airport – Sheikh Usman Danfodio; Osubi International Airport – Alfred Deite Spiff;
Port Harcourt International Airport – Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo and
Yola International Airport – Lamido Aliyu Mustapha.

The Boards of the Agencies, which are approved by President Muhammadu Buhari are boards in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

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The statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, the Head of Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry, indicated that NCAA is chaired by Lai are with two institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation and Defence.

FAAN would be chaired by Fola Akinkuotu with five institutional members representing the Ministries of Aviation, Defence, Justice and Tourism and NCAT while Mukhtar Aminu and Chris Aligbe are members.

NAMA has Bashir Sodangi as Chairman with four institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation, Communications and Digital Economy, Transportation and Nigerian Air Force as well as two other members to represent public interest. They are Richard Aisuegbon and Suleiman Balarabe Ismail.

NSIB would be chaired by Ezekiel Danboyi Zang with six other members including Suraj Abdulwahab, Ita Awak, Mall. Nasiru Anas, Alhaji Sani Maida, Pantani Esugo and Lawrence Fubara Anga.

Imoro Kubor is to chair the NiMet Board with four institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation, Agriculture and Natural, Resources, Environment and Transportation with Adebayo Yinka and Aliyu Umar Tambuwal as members.

And lastly NCAT would be chaired by Jonathan Ibrahim with institutional members which include Ministry of Aviation, NCAA, Nigeria’s ICAO representative; Representative of the aviation sector, Bashir Saad; Hajia Binta Aminu Iya representing community; Representative of the College elected from the congregation who should be a non-teaching staff and the college registrar.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.