The Federal Government yesterday appointed Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu as Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Until the appointment, the pilot with considerable industry experience was Director of Operations at FAAN.
He replaces Saleh Dunoma, who had spent over three decades at the aviation agency before he was appointed many years ago.
Sources said the appointment has been received with mixed reactions from the agency’s workers.
Yadudu’s entry, according to industry watchers, is another attempt by the outgoing Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to entrench some interests in the sector.
Yadudu hails from Kano State while Dunoma is from Borno State.
A statement by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry of Transport, Aviation, James Odaudu, said the appointment takes immediate effect.
The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Captain Rabiu Hadudu as the new MD of FAAN.
Yadudu, an ICAO/ACI-accredited Airport Professional, holds professional certifications in Avionics, Airport Safety Management Systems, Airport Security Management, among others.
He is a seasoned aviator with considerable experience in domestic, regional and inter/trans-continental scheduled passenger, charter, cargo and, most recently, Aero Medical operations.
The pilot was also the Director of Airport Operations (DAO) at FAAN.
Yadudu also holds a current NCAA and FAA licences as Captain-in-Command on Boeing 747,200/300, Learjet 45 XR and Cessna Citation Sovereign – CE-680 aircraft.
He was a Deputy Director and Captain-in-Command at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the Presidency, in their Cessna Citation Sovereign Air Ambulance.
He graduated from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in 1993 as a Licensed Aircraft Maintenances Engineer (AVIONICS) and later trained at Delta Aeronautics in Forth Worth, Texas, United States of America (U.S.A), where he obtained his Commercial Pilot Licence in 1995.
Yadudu started his career in the industry with the Nigeria Airways as an Avionics Maintenance Engineer but later left for Kabo Air, where he joined as a co-pilot and rose to become a Captain in 2007.
In the course of his career at Kabo Air, he served at different points – as the Safety Pilot, Head of Safety and Chief Pilot.
