The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has agreed with the Office of the National Security Adviser to reduce the number of physical security checkpoints at Nigeria’s airports. This follows various complaints lodged by travelers due to delays during checks.
The managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, said the agency has finalized its discussion with the NSA office to investigate the matter. Some measures to avoid delay and carry out adequate security searches include a joint coordination room for all agencies to discharge their duties through monitoring CCTV cameras.
She said the issue of multiple checkpoints was one of the challenges she planned to address upon assumption of office. She said, “In checking my baggage, it borders me so much, and that was the first inquiry I made when I assumed office. As far back as 2011 and 2012, when I was in the industry, I have worked on this with the former Minister.
It goes beyond FAAN. A lot of those agencies, Customs, NDLEA, Quarantine, Agriculture, we now have EFCC, we have almost everybody at the airports, we had Executive Order 001 during the Buhari administration to move them out under the then Vice President’sPresident’s office, now we have the National Single Window, and I have personally sat with the NSA over the last five weeks to have conversations with him as to how we will streamline the facilitation.”
Kuku highlighted that her discussion with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, about providing a long-lasting solution was productive. She stated two critical issues were discussed.
The first is reducing the number of security agencies at the airport, and the second is a joint room for general checking through CCTV cameras.
