Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has been appointed to head the Directorate of Air Mobilisation of All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
The appointment placing him at the helm of one of the campaign’s strategic operational structures.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Tunde Moshood, the Managing Director/CE of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku and Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Farouk Umar will serve as Deputy Directors I and II respectively in the directorate.
The appointments underscore the strategic importance of air transportation, operational coordination and aviation logistics to the organisation of a nationwide presidential campaign in a country as geographically extensive as Nigeria.
The Directorate of Air Mobilisation is expected to play crucial roles in coordinating the campaign’s air-movement requirements, facilitating travel arrangements for designated campaign officials and personnel, and ensuring effective planning for air transportation in support of campaign activities across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The directorate is expected to work closely with other relevant campaign structures to ensure seamless coordination, operational efficiency and effective deployment of available logistical resources, subject to applicable aviation regulations and electoral laws.
Keyamo’s appointment, according to Moshood, brings to the campaign structure the experience of a serving aviation minister who has been at the forefront of policy initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s aviation sector, improving its international standing and positioning the country as a major aviation hub in Africa.
His familiarity with the operational demands of the aviation industry is expected to provide useful leadership in coordinating the directorate’s activities and establishing an effective framework for air-mobilisation planning.
The appointment of Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku and Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar as Deputy Directors also brings aviation-sector leadership and technical experience into the directorate, strengthening its capacity to address the planning and coordination demands associated with nationwide campaign movements.
Air transportation is an important component of national campaign logistics, particularly where campaign leaders and officials are required to cover multiple locations within tight schedules.
The Directorate of Air Mobilisation is therefore expected to support the broader campaign organisation through structured planning, coordination with relevant stakeholders, efficient scheduling and appropriate logistical arrangements.
Its effectiveness will depend on collaboration with other campaign directorates, clear operational procedures and strict compliance with aviation safety requirements and all applicable laws governing political campaigns.
The directorate’s activities will also be expected to maintain a clear distinction between campaign operations and official government functions, ensuring that campaign-related arrangements are undertaken through properly authorised channels
