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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has introduced voluntary special airport marshals, unscheduled visits by the minister, consultations and appointments to address the expectations of the traveling public who daily utilize airports across Nigeria.
The minister in a press statement issued on Thursday, said “these decisions are aimed at improving service delivery and environmental conditions at these facilities.”
According to the statement, the minister has approved the following initiatives: “The Minister, explained that these Marshals, comprising public-spirited individuals drawn from members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and representatives of State Governors, will conduct unscheduled visits to the airports.”
He said their role will be to monitor staff conduct and assess the general hygiene and conditions of the airports.
He said the voluntary Special Airport Marshals shall report directly to the Honourable Minister, who will issue necessary directives to FAAN based on their findings.
With this initiative, Minister said he will no longer rely solely on official reports from Airport Managers but will also consider independent observations from these voluntary Special Airport Marshals.
According to him, this will bring an additional transparent layer of supervision to our airports as it will ensure that Airport Managers who receive monthly allocations for airport maintenance are held accountable for their responsibilities
On the unscheduled visits by the minister, Keyamo said the visit will be accompanied the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the Managing Director of FAAN, key directors of the Ministry and FAAN, and members of the Senate and House Committees on Aviation, will conduct unscheduled monthly inspections of airports nationwide.
He said during these visits, he will participate in various operational activities, demonstrating leadership and emphasizing the value of diligent service.
The minister said he will also address airport staff, hear their complaints and encourage them to uphold professionalism and serve the public courteously.
On Consultations and Appointments, Keyamo said he will engage stakeholders in consultations to identify and appoint suitable volunteers for the Special Airport Marshal roles.
“The names of the appointed Marshals will be publicly announced to ensure transparency and accountability.
“These initiatives underscore the Minister’s commitment to maintaining high standards of service delivery and cleanliness at Nigerian airports, ensuring they meet the needs of the traveling public,” he said.
