President Bola Tinubu has approved the suspension, removal, and replacement of Chief Executive Officers under the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed, has been removed from office and replaced with Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku as the substantive Managing Director of FAAN.

Also, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Tayib Adetunji Odunowo, has been removed from office and replaced with Engr. Umar Ahmed Farouk as the substantive Managing Director of NAMA.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Akinola Olateru, has also been removed from office and replaced with Mr. Alex Badeh Jr. as the substantive Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

Badeh is a son of late Chief of Defence Staff/Chief of Air Staff, Alex Badeh.

Also affected with the changes is the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu. He has been removed from office and replaced with Prof. Charles Anosike as the substantive Director-General of the NiMET.

The Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Capt. Alkali Mahmud Modibbo has been removed from office and replaced with Mr. Joseph Shaka Imalighwe as the Acting Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), pending the appointment of a substantive Rector, in accordance with Section 13(2) of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Act, 2022.

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Also, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu has been suspended from office to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct an unfettered investigation into the activities of the suspended Director-General and other senior officials in NCAA.

Capt. Chris Najomo assumes office as the Acting Director-General of the NCAA immediately.

Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), in a statement on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 said the changes were in line with Tinubu’s determination to bring world class standards to Nigerian civil aviation.

Meanwhile, Tinubu has approved the commencement of a diligent process to be conducted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU).
The President anticipates that the new leadership across this critical sector will uphold the safety, convenience, and comfort of the Nigerian people as primary and sacrosanct in all of their administrative activities.

“Due to the high cost of underperformance in the sector, the President demands the immediate establishment of world-class policy design, implementation, and regulatory frameworks to reposition the sector in alignment with his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“All of the above-mentioned directives of the President take immediate effect,” Ngelale said.