President, Muhammadu Buhari have renamed 15 airports across the country after some prominent Nigerians in recognition of their individual contribution to the development of the nation in different sectors.
Buhari who made the decision just a day before he exited office also approved the constitution of Boards for the Agencies which are mostly institutional representations.
According to The Numbers, the new development is contained in an official statement issued weekend from the office of Head, Press and Public Affairs Ministry of Aviation, Odutayo Oluseyi. According to the document made available to THE NUMBERS, Akure International Airport will now be named Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliyu International Airport; Benin International Airport to Oba Akinzua 11 International Airport; Dutse International Airport to Muhammad Nuhu Sanusi International Airport; Ebonyi International Airport to Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo International Airport; Gombe International Airport to Brigadier Zakari Maimalari International Airport; Ibadan International Airport to Samuel Ladoke Akintola International Airport; Ilorin International Airport to General Tunde Abdulkari International Airport.
Others are: Kaduna International Airport to Gen Hassan Usman Katsina International Airport, Maiduguri International Airport to President Muhammadu Buhari International Airport; Makurdi International Airport to Joseph Sarwuan Tarka International Airport; Minna International Airport to Mallam Abubarka Imam International Airport and the Nasarawa International Airport to Sheikh Usman Danfodio International Airport.
Also Osubi Airport has been changed to Alfred Diete Spiff; Port Harcourt International Airport to Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo International Airport and Yola International Airport to Lamidi Aliyu Mustapha International Airport.
The Boards of the Agencies, as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari are as follows: For NCAA, the Board Chairman is Lai Are, DG Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Musa Nuhu (member ) and member representing Federal Ministry of Aviation and Ministry of Defense.
For the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Board Chairman is Capt Fola Akinkuotu with Board members representing Federal Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Tourism and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT). Also there are two persons outside the public service with requisite experience in Aviation. They are Capt Mukhtar Amim and Mr Chris Aligbe while the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr Kabiru Yusuf Mohammad is also on the Board.
For the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Board Chairman is Engr Ezekiel Danboyi Zang; Engr Siraj Andulwahab, Engr Ita Awal, Mallam Nasir Anas, Alhaji Sani Maida; Engr Pantani Esugo; Lawrence Fubara Anga and Engr Akin Olateru, the Director General of NSIB.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) now has Board members as Dr Imoro Kubor (Chairman); Member representing FMA; Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources;Ministry of Environment; Ministry of Transportation; Ministry of Power Resources; Dr Adebayo Yinka; Prof Aliyu Umar Tambuwal and the Director General of NiMet, Prof Mansur Bako Matazu.
For the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the board members include: Capt Jonathan Ibrahim (Chairman); representative of FMA, representative of the community, Hajiya Binta Aminu Iya; representative of NCAA; Nigeria’s ICAO representative; representative of Aviation Sector, Engr Bashir Sa’ad; Deputy Rector of College; representative of NBTE; representative of academic board of College; representative of the College elected from the congregation who should be a non-teaching staff of the College and the Chief Executive of the Agency, Capt Alkali Modibbo.
