Last week, the former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu, officially handed over to his successor, Kabir Mohammed at the head office of the agency at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Yadudu who qualified as a Captain o. B747 in June 2001, from the PAN AM International Flight Academy, Miami, Florida, trained at the Bombardier Aerospace Training Centre, Dallas TX USA where he graduated in 2007.
He is a Consummate Aviator who started his journey in the industry in 1993 with the defunct Nigeria Airways (NAA) as a Licensed aircraft Maintenance Engineer( Avionics).
Yadudu, who completed his four-year tenure last week, left FAAN, a fulfilled man. He bowed out after an eventful four years tenure at FAAN.
Contrary to media reports that Captain Rabiu Yadudu, was sacked by the Federal Government, the former FAAN boss indeed finished his tenure successfully and bowed out of office.
Script’s findings established that Captain Yadudu was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 20th of May 2019 for a four-year term which elapsed on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
He retired alongside five directors who had either attained the mandatory age of 60 or had served for 35 years but who were also erroneously reported to have been sacked.
A credible source in FAAN also said that contrary to allegations of misconduct coming from some quarters, Captain Yadudu served the agency meritoriously with an unblemished record and an untarnished image.
Captain Yadudu has had an unblemished tenure throughout his stint with the FAAN as its CEO.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed has been appointed as the new Managing Director for the FAAN.
Mohammed before his appointment as the new FAAN boss was also the Regional General Manager, North Central.
He was appointed as the Chairman of Aviation Roadmap Implementation Committee in January 2022 by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, a position he combined with his office as the General Manager, Special Duties at FAAN.
The federal government seems discerning, with his appointment, as he is the right man to succeed Yadudu.
Prior to his appointment as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of FAAN, he had served the organization in various capacities including: Special Assistant to the Managing Director; Head of Servicom, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano; Chief Liaison Officer, FAAN Liaison Office, Abuja; Chief of Staff to the MD/CE; General Manager, Special Duties, and Regional General Manager, North Central/Airport Manager, Abuja Airport.
Last year Mohammed won the 2022 Distinguished leadership award of International Airport Professional/Community of Practice (IAPCOP) due to his outstanding achievements as an aviator.
The Distinguished Leadership IAP award, according to IAP, was given in recognition of an aviation professional for his/her role as a community leader and an active participant in the growth and improvement of the aviation community.
Mohammed has worked in various government and private organisations, such as the Presidency, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, State House, Office of the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief, among others.
He is expected to prepare major airports under his control for certification by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and by extension the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Lagos and Abuja airports that were certified in the past must be renewed to ensure that the airports are operating in tandem with international practices. In addition to that, it is expected that the airports in Kano and Port Harcourt would be certified.
It is expected that, as the new helmsman in charge of airports, Mohammed will apply his modern experience in rejuvenating facilities at airports and make them more functional and to meet the expectations of the travelling public.
Just like his predecessor, Kabir Mohammed is a man of immense goodwill, invaluable experience and intellectually deep.
Mohammed comes with a requisite experience in the public service, which is a plus for FAAN.
He worked at the Presidency, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (1992 -1994) – General Services Office and Ecological Fund Office.
He was at the State House, Office of the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief (Principal Secretary’s Office 1994 – 1998); Special Assistant to the Minister of Environment (1999); Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development 2000; Personal Assistant to the Chairman, National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria, Port-Harcourt (2001); Personal Assistant to the Chairman, Frenchies Limited (2002); Personal Assistant to Chairman, A & Hatman Limited; Admin. Manager, Interlinks Insurance, Abuja and Admin.
He has attended the (ICAO/ACI) Courses on Air Transport Systems (Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies, Abu Dhabi); Airport Operations Safety and Security; Airport Commercial and Financial Management and Airport Planning, Development and Environmental Management. Airport Safety Management System Implementation at GMR Aviation Academy India. Attended the Airport Environment Management Course at GCAS Abu Dhabi, UAE in fulfilment of the requirement for the attainment of certification as an International Airport Professional.
He is an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the United States Government in 2007 (Transparency and Good Governance). He has a diploma in Airport Executive Leadership ACI/Concordia University.
He also has a Certificate in Integrated Safety Management Systems from Singapore Aviation Academy.
He has a Management Certificate in Civil Aviation from ICAO/Concordia University consisting of a Certificate in Strategic Management, a Certificate in Human Resources and a Certificate in Business Strategy. He also has a certificate in Runway Safety Management (ACI); Certificate in Airport Business Operations (ACI). Other certificates include Airport User Charges, ACI, Panama.
Human Resources Management, IATA Singapore. Procurement and Financial Management, PSIN Abuja. Global Trends and their Impact on air transport, ACI/ICAO Montreal.
Mohammed is a seasoned airport manager who has understudied many past managing directors in FAAN and whose modern thinking and orientation will solidify the new trajectory in development started by Yadudu. Last year Yadudu set up the AviaCargo Committee headed by the travel expert, Ambassador Ikechi Uko whose team unveiled the undiscovered wealth in cargo freighting by air. What is potentially great is that Nigeria has so much to be taken out of the country, a huge market that has only been nibbled at but when fully maximized will boost the revenue of FAAN. Kabir Mohammed is highly inclined to turn the lead to gold.
Before taking over as the Managing Director of FAAN, Mohammed was the Regional General Manager, Central Region Airports, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Chairman Aviation Roadmap Implementation Committee.
Thisday, in an exposé about Mohammed said from his precedents, Mohammed will be the one that will manifest the vision of a new FAAN that would spearhead a new front in airport infrastructural development.
In his last position, Mohammed transformed the landscape of that airport and made it a very attractive facility that has become the airport of choice to many Nigerians returning to the country. This has also reflected in the growing passenger traffic.
In the statement issued by FAAN during his handover, it described Mohammed as a seasoned administrator and an astute aviator with stints in both the public and private sectors that formed his wealth of experience in aviation safety and security.
Mohammed is an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the United States Government, and he holds a diploma in Airport Executive Leadership from ACI/Concordia University. He is an International Airport Professional (IAP).
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial team of TheScript Newspaper
