The Federal Government has restated its commitment to driving green investment and innovation in Nigeria’s aviation sector as part of efforts to build environmentally sustainable airports across the country.
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, gave the assurance during a stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
The meeting, themed “Airport Carbon Emission Management: Role of Strategic and Intentional Collaboration among Stakeholders,” focused on managing carbon emissions at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
Keyamo said the gains recorded from carbon emission management at NAIA would serve as a model for replication across other international airports in Nigeria. He also praised the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for its role in spearheading the initiative and aligning with the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme.
“The business case for decarbonisation is as compelling as the environmental one,” he said, noting that access to global capital and partnerships would increasingly depend on strong environmental stewardship.
The minister added that eco-friendly airports would attract modern, fuel-efficient airlines, while ACA certification for NAIA would signal Nigeria’s readiness for sustainable aviation business globally.
He explained that airport emissions come from multiple sources—including aircraft landing and take-off, ground support equipment, passenger and staff vehicles, as well as energy use by concessions and services—making collaboration essential.
“Therefore, a siloed approach is destined to fail. Our strategy must be holistic, integrated, and collaborative,” Keyamo stressed.
The minister called for a technical working group comprising representatives of all stakeholders to design a concrete, costed, and time-bound action plan for NAIA. Suggested initiatives include:
- phasing out auxiliary power units in favour of electrical ground power,
- electrification of aprons and terminals powered by renewables,
- adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and
- waste-to-energy projects in collaboration with environmental agencies.
Also speaking, FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku, represented by Dr. Luqman Emiola, said the ACA programme would help airports measure, monitor, and reduce emissions in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
She noted FAAN’s dedication to decarbonising operations but emphasized the need for stakeholder collaboration, especially in tackling Scope 3 emissions.
Kuku stressed that each airport would require a tailored carbon management plan, describing climate change as a serious threat to aviation with potential negative impacts on businesses and livelihoods if not addressed.