Civil aviation in Nigeria is largely a legacy of
British colonial rule and developed as a result of historical circumstances dating back to 1925, particularly in the ancient walled city of Kano. The first aircraft to land in Nigerian territory were three
Airco DH.9A aircraft of No. 47 Squadron, based at
Helwan near
Cairo. The aircraft landed at
Maiduguri on 1 November 1925 en route to
Kano and later
Kaduna on 6 November 1925. The flight was led by then Squadron Leader
Arthur Coningham. Earlier in July of that year, Kano experienced a tense standoff between local residents and colonial government officials. At the time, the British government maintained an active Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Khartoum, Sudan. Following reports of unrest in Kano, authorities in London instructed the commanding officer of the Khartoum RAF Squadron to fly to Northern Nigeria and assess the situation. Flying a Bristol Fighter aircraft, the pilot made a safe landing on a horse racecourse in Kano, marking the first recorded aviation activity in Nigeria. In 1937, an emergency landing near Maiduguri required engineers to travel from Kano on horseback with tool kits to effect repairs. After repairs were completed, the aircraft was returned to service. Records indicate that flights from Kano to Lagos using early aircraft such as the DH.8 often took an entire day, including refuelling stops. The West African Airways Corporation (WAAC) was established to develop air services within and between West African territories. The airline commenced operations with six-seat de Havilland Dove aircraft for Nigerian domestic routes, while West Coast services utilised Bristol Wayfarer aircraft. Civil aviation administration was overseen by the Directorates of Public Works in the respective territories, operating under United Kingdom Colonial Air Navigation Orders. Following Ghana's withdrawal from WAAC in 1957, the Nigerian government, in partnership with BOAC and Elder Dempster Lines, established the West African Airways Corporation (Nigeria) Limited in August 1958. This entity later evolved into Nigeria Airways and marked a significant milestone in the development of Nigeria's airline industry. On 22 May 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the appointment of a new Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for a four-year tenure.
Maintenance The maintenance of air traffic service systems requires detailed planning of infrastructure and logistical support to ensure operational safety and efficiency. FAAN provides the following maintenance infrastructure and logistical support services: • External and internal equipment monitoring devices • Central maintenance workshops and laboratories • Additional logistical support systems
External and internal equipment monitoring devices Information on the status and failure of equipment and facilities is currently obtained through reports from service operators, users, and various monitoring devices. In line with efforts to improve service delivery, FAAN plans to introduce more advanced monitoring systems capable of immediate fault detection. These systems are designed to provide real-time visual displays of equipment configuration within equipment rooms.
Research FAAN operates dedicated workshops and laboratories for component-level system maintenance. Activities include maintenance, repair, and modification of analogue equipment using conventional measuring instruments such as multimeters, signal generators, and oscilloscopes. All test instruments are routinely checked, with recalibration carried out every two years.
Logistics The procurement, storage, and retrieval of spare parts are managed by FAAN's stores unit. Given the large volume of spare parts required for various systems, plans have been proposed to computerise inventory management to enhance efficiency. Other factors influencing FAAN's maintenance capacity include the reliability of public utilities such as the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), and state water boards. ==Operations==