Airports Council International (ACI) Africa region, has chosen Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja as “the best improved airport in safety”.

The airport emerged the winner of the category, following an extensive evaluation process that considered entries from several other airports in Africa.

General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) Yakubu Henrietta, in a statement, said in a letter dated September 13, 2018, and addressed to the director of airport operations of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, by the secretary general of ACI Africa, Ali Tounsi, the body noted that despite fierce competition, NAIA’s infrastructure and processes were rated the best in Africa for its category.

Recall that a team from the ACI had conducted security and safety inspections of facilities and equipment at the Abuja airport to access its level of compliance to international best practices in terms of security.

The six- team member, led by Brahim Lakhlili of the Airport Excellence (APEX), an arm of the ACI carried out a one week inspection of the airside, apron, tarmac and the perimeter fences of the airport to know its level of compliance.

Leader of the team, Lakhlili had said that it was a routine check which the Council embarks on from time to time and from country to country and clarified that the inspection was not to find faults or condemn the security and safety situations at the airport but to improve on whatever is on ground.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was recently audited and certified by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), having been given a clean bill of health by the regulatory Authority.

The award would officially be presented to the airport at the next ACI Africa Conference and Annual General Assembly scheduled to hold in Abidjan, Cote d’ivoire from the 14 – 17, October, 2018.