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FAAN to educate, sensitize stakeholders on security threats at ACI-Africa Security week

Captain Rabiu Yadudu, MD FAAN

Aviation security officers from within and outside Nigeria are to converge on Abuja next week to brainstorm how to handle emerging, insider threats and security breaches at airports. 

The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu at a news conference in Lagos said, the meeting is to bring all stakeholders together to be educated and sensitized on the critical role they play in security matters in civil aviation.

The meeting is an initiative of the Airport Council International, ACI Africa  tagged ACI-Africa Security Week 2021 with the theme: ‘Promotion of Security Culture at African Airports’.

In a sensitive sector like aviation, security is an absolute priority because it helps to build passengers confidence and this will lead to growth and development of the industry.

However, security maybe threatened due to the constant evolution and increasing sophistication of threats.

To mitigate these threats, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN Captain Rabiu Yadudu says, all stakeholders from the entire aviation community must be involved. 

This is why, according to Captain Yadudu, this year’s Airport Council International, ACI-Africa Security Week is bringing together internal and external stakeholders to teach them the duty, to learn and share values and experience.

“No airport operates in isolation, we are not islands what happens within the community or around the community affects the airport so, each airport will do it with the staff, the community, with other stakeholders, agencies, military and para-military, organizations involved in each state and then off course we shall bring it to the stakeholders like passengers, airlines and handlers because it is an industry affair, aviation is for everyone”.

He stressed that, the focus of the meeting is also to dialogue and engage in constructive interactions with stakeholders and staff who are not directly involved in operations regarding their role in airport security and to take a cursory look at what is on ground and how to improve on them.

“Part of the topics, training, recurrency, insider threats, vulnerability, social challenges, no airport operates like an island, whatever happens within the cities or town, you cannot escape it”.The FAAN boss said, the Federal Government had done a lot in promoting security at all airports with the acquisition of security scanning equipment as well as adequately trained manpower.

Some of these equipment he listed to include the full body scanner machines, hand held metal detectors among others.

“Actually we even installed brand new ones just last week, we got about 15, the existing ones we are trying to refurbish and also send some to smaller airports. We also have about 20 delivered to the country, every year we try to set aside funds for safety and security and it includes machines for their maintenance, procurement and their servicing”.

Captain Yadudu appealed to passengers, airlines, state governments and local community around the airports to join hands with them to secure the environment, adding that, security is everyone’s responsibility.

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