Stories By Seun ibiyemi
The Federal Government has announced plans to decarbonise Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, as part of a broader drive to embed sustainability in Nigeria’s aviation sector and align with global climate action targets.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in partnership with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), will prioritise electrification of airport facilities, adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and waste-to-energy projects aimed at cutting emissions and achieving net-zero operations.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ibrahim Kana, disclosed the plan during a stakeholders’ engagement on carbon emissions management at NAIA organised by FAAN.
He said climate change had become a pressing reality demanding urgent and coordinated responses. “The challenge of climate change is not a distant theoretical concern; it is a present and pressing reality that demands decisive, concerted action,” Keyamo said.
“For Nigeria, embedding sustainability into the very core of our aviation infrastructure is not an option; it is an imperative for long-term, resilient prosperity.”
He recommended measures including group electrification of aprons and terminals, development of SAF corridors, and expansion of waste-to-energy projects as ways to significantly reduce airport-related emissions.
FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, represented by the Director of Human Resources and Administration, Luqman Eniola, said climate change was a critical threat to aviation as well as wider livelihoods.
She explained that FAAN had already introduced emission-reduction measures at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, where electricity accounted for around 90 per cent of emissions recorded between 2017 and 2023.
According to her, FAAN is determined to replicate the approach in Abuja and across other major airports nationwide. “We want to walk with you in our determination to achieve net-zero emissions in our airport operations,” she said.
The Abuja plan is expected to serve as a blueprint for similar programmes at airports in Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt, forming part of Nigeria’s wider strategy to build climate resilience across the aviation industry.