FAAN disclosed this in a Harmonised Passenger Movement report on Tuesday in Lagos.

The report showed a 6.48 per cent increase from 4.07 million passenger movements recorded in 2023 at five of the country’s international airports.

The report covering Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu international airports, showed a significant decline in passenger movements, except for Lagos.

The report showed that 1.44 million (arrival) and 1.56 million (departure), amounting to 3.006 million passengers passed through Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

This showed an increase of 13.18 per cent when compared to 2.65 million recorded in 2023 for the same period at the airport.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the report showed 519,567 (arrival) and 550,981 (departure), totalling 1.07 million passengers, whereas, the airport recorded 1.11 million passenger movements in 2023.

Mallam Aminu Kano Airport saw a 15.85 per cent drop in flights (arrivals and departures) in 2024, with 211,671 movements as against 251,541 in 2023.

Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, recorded a decline of movements from 38,051 in 2023 to 35,516 in 2024, representing a 6.66 per cent decline.

The Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo International Airport, Port Harcourt, had 10,827 passenger movements in 2024 a decrease from 10,902 recorded in 2023, representing a 0.69 per cent decrease.

The report also showed that there was a significant decline in domestic passenger movements across 22 airports in the country.

The airports recorded a total of 12.54 million passenger movements both arrival and departure from January to December 2024 as against 13.40 million recorded for the same period in 2023.

Abuja airport led domestic movements with a total of 4.37 million movements in the year under review, while Lagos airport followed with 4.13 million passenger movements.

Other airports with high domestic movements included Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu and Owerri airports.

Source: NAN

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This was made known on Sunday in a statement issued by the agency’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi.

He said one of the kingpins who used dual identities to aid his cross border movements, had a Nigerian passport with his original name: Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus, 30, and that of Sierra Leone with a different name: Kargbo Mohamed Foday.

He was intercepted by NDLEA officers with his Sierra Leonean passport on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at the Port Harcourt airport, Rivers State during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight from Doha through Abuja to Port Harcourt.

He was subsequently taken for body scan which confirmed he ingested illicit drugs and thereafter placed under excretion observation during which he expelled a total of 62 wraps of heroin in five excretions, weighing 1.348 kilograms.

Investigation reveals Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus (alias Kargbo Mohamed Foday) alternates his two identities for different drug trafficking missions between Thailand, Pakistan, Iran and West African countries.

He claimed to have gone full time into the illicit drug trade in 2017 when his clothing and shoe business went down.

The second kingpin, James Herbert Chinoso, 48, was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport on Saturday, February 1, upon his arrival from Madagascar via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

After a body scan confirmed illicit drug in his system, he was placed under excretion observation during which he egested 63 wraps of heroin with a total weight of 909 grammes.

Chinoso had left Lagos to Madagascar on January 26, 2025 and returned via Addis Ababa after spending a week.

He claimed to have gone into the criminal trade after his phone accessories business in Liberia collapsed.

Two parcels of 2.82 kilogrammes of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis imported from the United States with Lagos as destination were equally intercepted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, at a courier firm in Lagos on Thursday, February 6.

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In another interdiction operation same day but in a different logistics company in Lagos, anti-narcotics officers intercepted 80 ampoules of pentazocine injection 225grams concealed in cartons heading to Canada.

In Kano, NDLEA operatives on Monday, February  3, arrested the duo of Usaini Salisu and Yahaya Mu’azu, both 23 years old, at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria road, where 15,396 pills of tramadol were recovered from a gas cylinder used to conceal the consignment.

In another operation same day, operatives nabbed a female suspect, Choima Okeke, 35, with 27 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 15kg, at Sabon Gari area of Kano.

A consignment of 12,800 pills of tramadol 250mg going to Shuwarin in Jigawa State, was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along Kabba-Obajana highway in Kogi state on Saturday, February 8, with a suspect, Salisu Basiru, 33, arrested.

Similarly, no fewer than 65 parcels of Colorado, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis with a total weight of 1.600kg also heading to Jigawa State, were recovered from another suspect, Rufai Hassan, 32 at the same check point same day.

With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Saint Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Taangayar Malam Abubakar Bichi, an Almajiri school, Bichi, Kano; Federal Government Girls College, Calabar, Cross River; College of Nursing and Science, Birnin Kebbi; and Meiran Community Junior Secondary School, Abule Egba, Lagos State among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, PHIA, DOGI, Kano and Kogi commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts were well appreciated.

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These include the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services, the Domestic General Airport Terminal I operated by FAAN, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA.

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd., the operator of MMA2, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that there were no disruptions to operations at the terminal.

Mr Kola Bamigboye, Head of Space and Premises and also Acting Chief Operating Officer at Bi-Courtney, said that flights were departing and arriving as scheduled, and cargo operations were proceeding smoothly.

“There’s a heavy security presence in and around the airport for formal stop-and-search operations.

“Everything is going smoothly. There are no disruptions or challenges to our operations, and all our business areas are functioning well.

“The operations of the airlines are running smoothly. We’ve had flights operating this morning,” Bamigboye said.

According to him, the car park is functioning properly, and terminal operations, lounges and hospitality services are all in check.

“Our cargo area, which is sensitive due to its proximity to the main road, is also secure, with Mr Remi Jibodu, the Head of Aeronautics and Cargo and co-COO, on ground,” he added.

At the Domestic General Aviation Terminal I, managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, airport operations were reported to be running smoothly, albeit on a skeletal basis.

Similarly, activities were ongoing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, where passengers were seen at both the departure and arrival sections.

A passenger, Mr Anthony Marcel, who was boarding an Ibom Air flight to Port Harcourt, expressed satisfaction with the airport security, noting that the protest did not affect operations.

Another passenger at MMA2, Mrs Scholastica Ijebo, who was flying to Abuja, mentioned that the roads were free, allowing her to arrive at the airport ahead of her departure time.

She reported no hitches or disruptions due to the protest.

The roads leading to and from Lagos airports were relatively clear.

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The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made the announcement when he addressed newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, the preferred bidder for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, is Corporacion America Airports Consortium, while ENL Consortium has also been selected as the reserve bidder for NAIA.

Sirika said the preferred bidder for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, is TAV/NAHCO/Project Plant Limited, PPL, Consortium while Sifax/Changi Consortium has also been selected as the reserve bidder for MMIA.

He further said that the preferred bidder for the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, is Corporacion America Airports Consortium while there are no reserve bidders for MAKIA for now.

The minister stated that Port Harcourt International Airport, PHIA, Port Harcourt, did not receive any proposals when the Request for Proposal, RFP, deadline closed.

“The federal government, in line with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (establishment, etc.) Act, 2005, and global best practice, is ready to inform all stakeholders, local and international, development partners and the media on development regarding airports concession.

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“The Request for Proposals, RFP, phase of the Nigeria Airports Concession Programme, NACP, came to a close on the 19 of September 2022.”

Sirika said that the ministry was in consultation with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, and other stakeholders for the fourth airport asset which did not receive bids as at the time of the RFP deadline.

The minister said the process was a multistage process, adding that the final outcome of the NACP was yet to come.

“The next stage of the programme is the negotiations and due diligence stage, during which the ministry will invite preferred bidders to enter detailed negotiations with its representatives, with a view to developing a Full Business Case, FBC, before onward transmission to ICRC for review and approval.

“Only after a successful conclusion of the negotiation and due diligence stage will the FBC and all other approvals be presented before the Federal Executive Council for final approval by the federal government,” he said.

Sirika urged all participants who had responded to RFP to continue referring to the NACP website — www.nacp.aviation.gov.ng, where all updates and relevant documentation, including updated FAQs, could be found.

Source: NAN

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Chairman of the PTF on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, disclosed this in a notice to the affected passengers on Saturday.

The notice explained that the 100 defaulters would be restricted for six months, for failure to comply with the mandatory Day seven Post Arrival COVID-19 Polymerise Chain Reaction (PCR) test, and that the six months restrictions, which took effect from January 1, would last till June 30, 2021.

According to the notice, the defaulting passengers had been informed about the development and would be prevented from travelling out of the country during the period.

The passport numbers of the affected persons were displayed on the notice.

Source: NAN

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The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation for the 2021 budget defence by the ministry and its agencies.

Sirika said that the civil aviation had witnessed growth saying that the number of airports in the country had increased.

“There are airports coming up in Benue, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Lafia, Damaturu, Anambra and so forth. All of these show that civil aviation is growing during this administration,” he said.

Sirika said both the executive arm of government and the National Assembly had done justice to the civil aviation sector since 2015 when the current administration came on board through the development of a roadmap, which was being implemented.

“So, we have about 10 new airports coming up; that is almost half the number of airports we used to have in Nigeria. We are adding 50 per cent of the number of airports,” Sirika said.

He also noted that Kebbi, Osubi, Dutse, Jigawa airports were taken over by the federal government while the Gombe State government had also written the federal authorities, asking it to take over the Gombe Airport.

Meanwhile, Sirika told newsmen after the budget defence that the national carrier, Nigeria Air, was part of the Aviation sector roadmap, which would be delivered before 2023.

“We are on it. The transaction adviser has brought in the outline business case. It is being reviewed by Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

“Soon after its completion, it will go to the Federal Executive Council for approval. We will not leave this government without having it in place,” Sirika said.

On the need to site another airport in Lokoja, Kogi, as alternate to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Sirika said, “Lokoja is an important Northern town.

“Lokoja is a cosmopolitan town, it’s a mini Nigeria and it is extremely very important in growth and development of our country.

“We have a lot of agricultural activities around there. There is fishery, there is perishable item production and so on.

“So sitting an airport there is quite apt. For me, it is something we should have done long ago for its importance,” Sirika said.

On the issues of dilapidated equipment at some airports across the country, Sirika said it was a work in progress as the airports were being attended to one after the other based on priority.

“We don’t have the resources to take them all at once. We are attending to them according to their needs in terms of safety and security.

“Certainly we are making Ilorin one of the best airports because in the first place it is an alternate for Lagos,” Sirika said.

Chairman of the committee, Smart Adeyemi, said that observations were made by the committee on how to assist the aviation industry.

“This is more important as the world grappled with global recession; aviation becomes a very important sector that requires the attention of any progressive government.

“I am happy to see that there is an improvement in what is being proposed for 2021 compared with the outgoing year.

“Aviation is important because when the economy is down for a developing nation as ours, it makes sense to focus on aviation in order to be able to accelerate socio-economic activities.

“Aviation must be given serious attention and I am happy this government has responded to that,” Adeyemi said.

Source: NAN

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Recall that the airports were shut on March 23 and promised to be reopened a month after, to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made the extension of the closure of the airports known on Monday.

He explained that the action followed the extension of the lockdown by the Federal Government in some states.

His tweet reads:  “As a result of the extension on lockdown by Mr President, it is no longer possible for us to open our airspace and airports for normal operations by the 23rd April 2020.”

It would also be recalled that the announcement of the closure of the airports was made in a statement by the Director General of the NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, to all airlines operators, on Marcy 21, 2020 titled: “Update on clarification on flight restriction into Nigeria due to COVID-19 pandemic to accountable manager/country manager.”

The statement reads:  “Further to our earlier letter on restriction of international flights into Nigeria, we wish to inform you that effective Monday, March 23 at 2300Z to April 23 at 2300Z, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos (DNMM) and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja (DNAA) will be closed to all International flights.”

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The five international airports are in Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said government would also set up inter-multi-sectoral committee to scale up surveillance and vigilance.

According to the minister, the committee would help to scale up surveillance to detect suspicious cases and ensure containment.

“The committee shall comprise of critical stakeholders in the health, security, aviation and transport sectors and also include development partners, bearing in mind that air travellers are more likely carriers of the virus.

“Attention will be given to five international airports to ensure that  the point of entries are monitored and the ministry is working to forestall the importation of coronavirus to the country.

“The risk of importation is possible in all countries. However, the ministry wishes to assure all Nigerians that the capacity to detect, access and respond to this and other public health challenges are put in place.”

The minister said that in addition, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, had set up coronavirus group and was ready to activate its incident system for coronavirus if any case emerged in Nigeria.

According to him, NCDC was already receiving World Health Organisation, WHO, advisory to countries and agencies on surveillance and response.

“The collaborative engagement will not attain success without the support of state governments, particularly states hosting the international airports.

“The ministry is finalising plan to engage authorities of those states to enhance surveillance and response in their domains.’’

Ehanire, therefore, urged airlines to comply with protocol on any passenger who took ill or looked ill on board to be reported by authorities.

He also urged airlines and the public to call stipulated  lines at the airports’ entries to share any information on the virus, and gave the telephone numbers as: 09092996283; 08095553232.

While fielding questions from journalists on capacity of Nigeria to handle the virus, the minister said that the country had good laboratories for testing suspected samples.

“Our laboratory testing skill is increasing and you will need reagent for any test but we do not have reagent for the virus; WHO will advise countries where to send samples to,’’ he said.

In her remarks, the Director of Port Health Services in the ministry, Dr. Morenike Alex-Okoh, said the ministry would further work with state governments for containment.

She added that “for those cases that will not manifest at ports, it is very important to engage the states, while  the states are expected to ensure social mobilisation to sensitise people on the need to go to health facility.’’

Also, Dr. Joshua Obasanya, the Director, Prevention and Programme Coordination, NCDC, said that the centre had been collaborating with Chinese authority in Nigeria to ensure that citizens that travelled for holiday to that country delayed their coming.

He said “we had a meeting with Chinese authorities; they have agreed to work with us.”

First identified by Chinese researchers with the pathogen behind a mysterious illness that had sickened 59 people in Wuhan, Hubei in 2019, a city of 11 million in central China, coronavirus is a group of viruses common among animals but now confirmed that it could also infect humans.

The large family of viruses can cause diseases ranging from common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The disease has spread to Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, as authorities of that country confirmed 1,975 cases of the new coronavirus, while death toll from the virus rose to 56.

It had also spread to the U.S., Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Australia, France and Canada.

Source: NAN

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They are Osubi Airport, Warri, Gombe Airport and Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, MMA2.

This was made known by FAAN’s General Manager for Corporate Communications, Henrietta Yakubu.

Her words:  “We gave them one month notice to pay up their debts; we even advertised in newspapers informing them about the debts but they failed to comply. So, we are withdrawing security and fire service from the airports, without which planes cannot operate.”

She said the operators of the airports and the state governments affected had been informed before the action was taken.

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