By Dickson Omobola
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has said the country’s aviation market ranks as the fourth-largest in Africa, with more than 18.8 million domestic and international passengers recorded in 2025.
FAAN said the country’s passenger traffic increased by 11.9 per cent year-on-year in 2025, adding that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s 10 largest airports in September, with 24.1 per cent increase.
Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, disclosed this at the 2026 Airports Council International, ACI, Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition, themed: ‘Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,’ in Abuja.
Her words: “According to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association, IATA, African airlines recorded a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in July 2026. Let me put that in perspective: 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. And I am proud to be standing in the same room with the men and women moving Africans and their visitors safely and in comfort.
“Our continent’s overall passenger demand grew by 5.2 per cent, second only to Latin America and the Caribbean, and substantially ahead of the global average of 0.2 per cent. This is not a marginal improvement. This continent is on the move. Nigeria, my home and the host nation for this conference, is proud to be at the forefront of this growth story.
“Our 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. The Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, whose oldest terminal is being rehabilitated and upgraded as we speak, recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s ten largest airports in September, with a remarkable 24.1 per cent increase.
“And the momentum is building. According to OAG data, Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from the same period last year, the fastest growth among Africa’s top 10 aviation markets.
but in the systems that make airports work: predictive maintenance, reliable power, digital operational systems, and data analytics that inform decision-making.
The less visible investments often deliver the greatest returns. Third, operational resilience. Resilience is not an emergency plan, it is an organisational capability. We must build redundancy, agility, intelligence, and communication discipline into everything we do. The objective is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to reduce the time between disruption and effective response. Fourth, human capital. Infrastructure depreciates; technology becomes obsolete; but a competent, accountable, and continuously learning workforce multiplies every investment.
“We must build a culture of continuous learning and develop aviation professionals who can manage the increasingly complex airport ecosystem. Fifth, partnerships. Government resources alone cannot meet the scale of investment, technology, and expertise required. We must build commercially viable partnerships with private investors, airlines, technology providers, logistics companies, and development finance institutions.”
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