In a significant move to elevate Nigeria’s aviation workforce, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Atom Aviation Training Services, a leading aviation training firm headquartered in Dubai. This partnership is geared towards advancing human capital development within Nigeria’s airport operations and management ecosystem.
In formal statements released by FAAN’s corporate communications team, the landmark agreement underscores the authority’s commitment to building a skilled and modern workforce capable of meeting rigorous global aviation standards. The MoU outlines a collaborative framework that includes capacity‑building programmes, staff exchange, and joint training initiatives using ATOM’s world‑class training infrastructure, including air traffic control simulators, emergency response modules, and state‑of‑the‑art safety systems
This initiative follows earlier high-level engagements, where the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, led a delegation—comprising the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar—on a working visit to ATOM’s facilities in Dubai in November 2024. During the visit, they held extensive discussions focused on enhancing training for air traffic controllers, CNS engineers, AIS staff, and other technical professionals critical to Nigeria’s aviation operations
Through the MoU, FAAN will work closely with Atom to design and deliver specialised training modules tailored to Lagos, Abuja, and other commercial airports under its jurisdiction. This includes leveraging ATOM’s advanced simulation tools and technical resources to fast‑track skills acquisition and operational competence among Nigerian airport personnel.
Furthermore, the agreement is expected to facilitate staff secondments and knowledge transfer, by organising periodic visits of FAAN officers to Dubai and vice versa. This exchange aims to foster professional growth, exposure to best practices, and adoption of international standards within Nigeria’s aviation environment.
FAAN’s Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has reiterated that investment in human capital remains central to the airport authority’s mission of achieving operational excellence and ICAO compliance. She highlighted that collaborations of this nature will help sharpen the skills of critical technical personnel—spanning aerodrome safety, aviation security, and firefighting services—thus contributing to better-managed and safer airports across the nation
In summary, this strategic MoU between FAAN and Atom Training Services represents a decisive step towards bridging existing skills gaps and ensuring that Nigeria’s airport workforce is empowered, competent, and aligned with international best practices in aviation safety, security, and operations.
