Working in aviation industry worthwhile, challenging, fulfilling  – Mrs Shinaba

After putting in 35 years of meritorious service in the aviation industry in Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Shinaba will today retire from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as the Regional General Manager (RGM) South West and Airport Manager Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Working in aviation industry worthwhile, challenging,fulfilling  – Mrs Shinaba

Shinaba who many refer to as the encyclopedia of airport operations in Nigeria, ascribed successes she recorded in the Aviation industry to the special grace of God.
In an exclusive chat with African Business Travel News (ABTN), Shinaba said she never dreamt of occupying the seat of a regional General manager in FAAN when she was employed as a young officer in the industry.
“By May 31, 2022, I would have spent 35 years in the aviation industry. It has been a worthwhile journey; full of experiences, challenges, but ultimately, it has been fantastic working in the industry,” the out-going RGM South West said.
She affirmed that her passion for the job and encouragements she received from her superiors as a young Officer coming into the industry without any knowledge of Aviation industry, motivated her to face and overcome challenges of the industry
“As an operation officer, I have passion for the job. And that is what
motivates me. The job is not regimental. You wake up to meet new challenges everyday. You must face and solve the challenges. The more you are able to overcome them, the happier you are and the willingness to move forward and get stronger.”

Looking back at those 35 years she worked rigorously and meritoriously in the industry, Shinaba recalled that her happiest day in the industry was the day Murtala Muhammed Airport got its certification as the first airport to be so certified in Nigeria and the day the new International terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos was commissioned and became functional.
She explained that though she was not the airport manager when the airport got its certification, but she was the team leader of the group that achieved the feat of getting the certification after the airport had been operated for many years without certification and many attempts by many groups to get it certify in the past, failed.
” I have a lot of days I can look back to and say I feel fulfilled. The most important of them all, was the day Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos was certified. The very day we got the certification of MMA, was one of my happiest and most fulfilled day in the aviation industry.
“That day was the first time in the history of Nigeria, any of our
airports was certified after operating them for a very long time and after many people had worked for decades to get it certified without success.
“To the glory of God, that day was one of the happiest days in my life
in the industry. “History was made. “I wasn’t the airport manager, but I
was the team leader of the group that got the airport certified on
behalf of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). It was like a
mission accomplished,” she added, “Another one was the day the new international terminal at MMA was successfully commissioned. We got the president’s commendations.”
However, Shinaba recalled that the day terminal One of the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport went up in flames and the day politicians engaged in show of superiority of power on the operations of airport at Akure Airport were days she saw as very bad in her career in the Aviation industry.
“However, a day that I would remember as the most gloomy in the industry was the day terminal one got burnt. It was a very sad day for me in the aviation industry. I was the officer on duty on that day.
“Then another day I would regard as a very bad day, was the day the
politicians interfered with the operations at Akure Airport. I was the manager. Also another day was the day aircraft could not land at MMA because of airfield lighting,” she recalled with pains.

Shinaba believed that with the right tools and conducive environment in place, Nigeria has a lot skilled and professionally qualified workers who can manage her airports safely and profitably.
“Personally, I believe in Nigeria. I believe strongly that things can
work perfectly in the aviation industry in Nigeria given the right
tools and environment because we have skilled, committed and dedicated workforce that has the right attitude to work,” she argued.

When asked how she was able to ensure that the issue of security breaches was reduced to barest level at the nation’s busiest airport and other airports under her supervision as Regional General Manager, she said: “We have very strong synergies with all the security agencies in the airports. We have airport security committee in each of the airports. We meet regularly with ourself to deliberate on security related issues around the airports. We share information regularly and promptly. We also have good working relationship with the leadership of the host communities, like the Kabiyesis and the Baales. We enlighten them on the effects activities of their subjects would have on the airports in their domains. So with these and many other strategies, we are able to ensure security within and around the airports.”

Motivation for the job. As an operation officer, I have passion for the job. And that is what motivates me. The job is not regimental. You wake up to meet new challenges everyday. You must face and solve the challenges. The more you are able to overcome them the happier you are and the willingness
to move forward and get stronger.

On mentorship, Shinaba who believed that good mentors are important to the conducts and performance of workers in their places of work, said she enjoyed good mentorship from some of her superiors and she in return has been doing same to her subordinates.

“I was mentored by a lot of persons who believe in me and believe I can
go places in the industry. As a young officer then, a particular man, though not popular in the industry, Mr. Olu Sogbetan, he was my Operations Officer then. Honestly, I owe him honour for his decisions on me. He was the man who spotted me and brought me to operations. Also Mr Roniwura, he might not know, he mentored me. He was my terminal manager and Mrs Anne Imadion. She had a very strong influence on me. Also the former Regional Manager, Mr Edward Olarerin. When I was the International Terminal Operations Officer (ITOO). He too mentored me. Whenever he was asked to nominate someone to attend assignments at the Headquarters, he would nominate me. That gave me the opportunity to work in different committees, meet and work with a lot of people from different areas.

Shinaba who entered the industry as a holder of National Certificate of
Education(NCE) Biology\Chemistry, later obtained a degree in
Biology Education from University of Lagos. She also obtained the Diploma and Advance Diploma certificates in Transportation studies and later qualified as a
member of chartered institute of transportation and Logistics, said
“There are a lot to offer and learn in the industry,” adding, “I have also been able to mentor a lot of people especially junior ones
on both professional and leadership aspects of the industry. I have
trained a lot of people on technical areas of airport operations that
I don’t entertain any fear about their capability to successfully
handle any issue in any airport not only in Nigeria but anywhere in
the world.”