Since his auspicious appointment as the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development on the 21st August 2023, the dynamic and highly cerebral Barr. Festus Keyamo SAN, FCIArb, has hit the ground running in his avowed mission of bringing world class standards to the Nigerian civil aviation sector, promoting the welfare and well-being of Nigerian passengers and establishing and implementing a globally acclaimed policy design and regulatory framework to reposition and recalibrate the aviation sector in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.
Indeed, a resolute Barr Festus Keyamo has clearly signaled to the staff and management of the federal aviation agencies as well as other stakeholders in the aviation sector that it is no longer business as usual but ‘business unusual’ in line with the hallowed tenets of transparency accountability due process and the rule of law in the administrative, operational, organizational and financial activities of the allied agencies. The proactive aviation minister has matched words with action by undertaking a major shake-up of the leadership and management of the agencies under his watch namely the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
This large-scale exercise has seen the suspension, removal, or replacement of the chief executive officers of FAAN, NAMA, NSIB, NIMET, NCAT and NCAA as well as over 46 directors to head the various departments of those aforementioned agencies for greater productivity, robust efficiency and a credible and more responsive service delivery to the numerous stakeholders in the sector. Few are surprised by the vigorous repositioning exercise being signposted by Barr Festus Keyamo given his well-worn reputation for outstanding leadership, force of character, courage of conviction, and dedication to principle and exemplary performance in the relevant scheme of things.
Indeed, the patriotic-minded aviation helmsman’s leadership style is refreshingly inclusive accommodating and open to all persons, ideas, opinions and perspectives irrespective of ethnic, religious, sectional or partisan affiliations as far as they are geared towards moving the aviation sector and the nation forward in all positive ramifications.
Thus, the recent aviation sector appointments, redeployments and replacements have been universally hailed as fair, balanced and foresighted with round pegs being placed in round holes as the case may be. The holistic-minded Barr Festus Keyamo is determined to go the whole hog in transforming, restructuring, repositioning and recalibrating the aviation sector for the better and he is ready to go the extra mile in seeing the reform policies to its logical end not caring whose ox is gored in the process. As far as he is concerned there are no sacred cows to be pampered and all staff and management must be on deck to carry out their duties effectively; it is either you shape up or be shipped out, no more, no less.
As the days and years unfold, there is little doubt that better days are here again for the aviation sector majorly due to the undiluted leadership foresight, administrative acumen, intellectual sagacity and technocratic agility of Barr Festus Keyamo, the prolific and highly motivated Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. He who the cap fits, let him wear it.
