Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed the Federal Government’s new measures to tackle incidents of financial extortion at Nigerian airports. Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on October 10, 2024, Keyamo stated that the government has decided to leverage technology to address this issue, which has plagued airports for years.
Keyamo announced that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has acquired 1,000 body cameras to monitor airport security personnel. The cameras, distributed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), will transmit live footage to a command center, ensuring that officers’ interactions with travelers are recorded and closely monitored.
Training for officers is underway, and Keyamo expressed confidence in the reforms, stating that Nigerians will soon take pride in the nation’s upgraded aviation sector. He also noted the government’s efforts to address challenges related to aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities. An agreement has been signed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to establish an MRO in Abuja, a move aimed at reducing the sector’s dependence on foreign maintenance facilities.