Di Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, don talk say di country aviation market rank as di fourth-largest for Africa, with more dan 18.8 million domestic and international passengers wey dem record for 2025.

FAAN talk say di country passenger traffic increase by 11.9 per cent year-on-year for 2025, and add say di Murtala Muhammed International Airport for Lagos record di fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa 10 largest airports for September, with 24.1 per cent increase.

Di Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, disclose dis one for di 2026 Airports Council International, ACI, Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition, wey get di theme: 'Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,' for Abuja.

Her words: "According to di latest data from di International Air Transport Association, IATA, African airlines record a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand for July 2026.

Make I put am for perspective: while global international demand actually decline by 0.1 per cent during di same period, Africa dey expand. We no just dey participate for global aviation recovery, we dey lead am. And I proud to stand for di same room with di men and women wey dey move Africans and their visitors safely and in comfort.

"Our continent overall passenger demand grow by 5.2 per cent, second only to Latin America and di Caribbean, and well ahead of di global average of 0.2 per cent. Dis no be small improvement. Dis continent dey move. Nigeria, my home and di host nation for dis conference, proud to dey for di forefront of dis growth story.

"Our aviation market now rank as di fourth-largest for Africa, with over 18.8 million domestic and international passengers wey dem record for 2025, wey represent a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent.

Di Murtala Muhammed International Airport for Lagos, wey dem dey rehabilitate and upgrade im oldest terminal as we dey talk so, record di fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa ten largest airports for September, with a remarkable 24.1 per cent increase.

"And di momentum dey build. According to OAG data, Nigeria total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reach 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from di same period last year, di fastest growth among Africa top 10 aviation markets.

"But no be only for di systems wey dey make airports work: predictive maintenance, reliable power, digital operational systems, and data analytics wey dey inform decision-making.

Di less visible investments often dey deliver di greatest returns. Third, operational resilience. Resilience no be emergency plan, na organisational capability. We must build redundancy, agility, intelligence, and communication discipline into everything we do. Di objective no be to eliminate uncertainty, but to reduce di time between disruption and effective response.

Fourth, human capital. Infrastructure dey depreciate; technology dey become obsolete; but a competent, accountable, and continuously learning workforce dey multiply every investment.