The Federal Character Commission (FCC) Committee on Works, Transport and Aviation, chaired by Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze, and the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to promote equitable representation, fairness and compliance with the Federal Character principle in recruitment, promotion and staff deployment.
The commitment was reached on Tuesday during an interactive session at the FCC headquarters in Abuja, where the committee engaged FAAN management on its workforce policies and measures to ensure compliance with Federal Character guidelines without compromising professional competence and aviation safety.
Speaking at the meeting, Eze, the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State, stressed the need for federal institutions to provide qualified Nigerians from all parts of the country with equitable opportunities to contribute to national development.
“Fairness is not a substitute for merit, and merit should not become an excuse for exclusion. Our goal is a workforce that is both professionally excellent and nationally representative,” Eze said.
He explained that the engagement was designed to assess progress, identify challenges and develop practical solutions to improve cooperation between FAAN and the commission. He urged the authority to “look beyond compliance documents and demonstrate a clear commitment to equitable opportunities,” adding that “a workforce that reflects the country’s diversity would strengthen public confidence and contribute to national development”.
Eze expressed optimism that the meeting would produce measurable commitments and reinforce the constitutional responsibility of federal institutions to uphold the Federal Character principle.
Responding, FAAN’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to the principle while emphasising the need to maintain the specialised standards required in the aviation industry.
Onabanjo-Kuku said FAAN’s annual promotion exercises involved consultations with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Salaries and Wages Commission. She also stated that, to the best of her knowledge, the authority had not received any letter from the FCC alleging non-compliance, adding that its processes were diligently conducted.
The FAAN chief executive welcomed further guidance from the commission on procedures for notifying it of recruitment and promotion exercises, assuring that the authority would continue to comply with prescribed guidelines. She explained that aviation operations were governed by “international standards, including those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which inform personnel qualifications and operational requirements”.
According to Onabanjo-Kuku, “FAAN manages 22 airports and provides management services for about six others on behalf of state governments and private-sector interests.” She noted that passenger traffic and operational activities were concentrated in a few airports, making staff deployment dependent on specific operational requirements.
She identified aviation security and fire and rescue services as areas requiring additional personnel, explaining that recruitment into such specialised positions must take account of prescribed age, health and physical fitness requirements. She maintained that FAAN would continue to balance aviation’s technical demands with the need to comply with Federal Character guidelines.
In a related development, the Executive Chairman of the FCC, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, assured FAAN of the commission’s readiness to establish a cordial and productive working relationship with federal agencies. She gave the assurance when Onabanjo-Kuku paid her a courtesy visit after the interactive session.
Omidiran said the commission was adopting a more streamlined approach to compliance and direct engagement with the heads of government institutions. She explained that the interactive sessions were designed to ensure that agency leaders understood the commission’s expectations and personally committed to implementing the required standards.
The FCC chairman emphasised that direct engagement with agency heads was necessary to strengthen accountability and eliminate uncertainty over compliance procedures. She expressed optimism that sustained cooperation would improve relations between the commission and federal institutions while strengthening adherence to the Federal Character principle.
The meeting underscored the shared commitment of the FCC committee, FAAN management and the commission’s leadership to promoting fairness, professional excellence and equitable representation in Nigeria’s federal public service.
