“Ladies and gentlemen, the award for the Best emerging airport – Africa region goes to … Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria…”

As the crowd broke into a thunderous applause, Engr. Saleh Dunoma, MD/CEO of FAAN, rose gracefully and walked to the stage under the klieg lights to receive the award in far away Abu Dhabi, UAE, at the 4th Annual Emerging Airports Conference and Exhibition on April 10, 2014. Being a silent achiever who avoids the spotlight, this was one moment he could not avoid, as the Sheiks adjusted their veils to catch a glimpse of the ‘emerging airport’ from Africa. Providence has just thrown him onto the world stage!

Though he had just been recently appointed the MD of FAAN, Engr. Saleh was the man criss-crossing the length and breadth of Nigeria as Director of Projects, supervising the remodelling of 22 airports across the country for the past two years. He was the unseen hand that was silently moulding the concept of the Airport Remodelling Project into reality. So it was a twist of fate that he was the one to receive this award to MMIA as MD/CEO of FAAN.

As the then Director of Projects of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, it was his brief to supervise the massive Airport Remodelling Project. The significance of that project is that it is the most ambitious airport development project since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, after the Aerodrome Development Programme of the mid 1970s.

The MMIA which won the country that award, benefitted immensely from the project under Engr. Dunoma’s methodical supervision. Apart from the reconstruction of its old GAT into an ultra modern domestic terminal, the international terminal of the airport has also been expanded to about double its original size and fitted with ultra modern facilities. In addition, a new international terminal is being constructed close to the existing terminal in preparation for making the airport a major regional hub.

Engr. Dunoma, a 1979 Building Engineering graduate of ABU, Zaria joined FAAN in 1980 and has since served the Authority in various sensitive capacities. At various times, he acted as Airport Manager, Kaduna Airport and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, respectively in 2000, before his appointment as substantive Airport Manager, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, a position he held until he was reassigned in 2005 to the newly created Directorate of Aviation Security and Safety as the pioneer General Manager (Technology and Capacity Building).

The diverse nature of his job in airport management provided him the unique opportunity of being exposed to several facets of airport operations. He was appointed Director of Engineering Services in February 2009 and served in that capacity until 2012, when he was appointed Director of Projects, a position he held until his recent appointment as MD/CEO.

Since his appointment, Engr. Saleh has embarked on a marathon inspection of the remodelling project, transversing the airport landscape from Sokoto to Benin, Akure to Jos, Makurdi to Calabar, silently revolutionising airport operations in the country. There is little wonder that this is happening because he is on a familiar turf, having served both as Airport Manager and Director of Projects.

This award to MMA is yet another global acclamation of the revolution that is taking place in Nigeria’s aviation sector, as propelled by President Goodluck Jonathan Transformation Agenda in the sector.

That the award came when Nigeria officially became the 26th largest economy in the world made it more significant to potential foreign investors in the country’s aviation industry. The sheiks in their crowns and flowing gowns struggled to catch a glimpse of this emerging market.

Nigeria’s GDP recently rose to $510 billion following the reclassification of the base year of the GDP from 1990 to 2010. The development saw the size of the Nigeria’s economy appreciate by 11 steps to become the 26th largest economy in the world, ahead of South Africa’s which had held sway as the continent’s largest economy for some time.

The country’s aviation industry will be a major beneficiary of this economic breakthrough, especially now that new investment opportunities such as aerotropolis and the perishable cargo initiative have been introduced in the industry, under the Aviation Transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

By Yakubu Dati