With less than seven days to leave office, the minister of aviation and aerospace, Mr. Hadi Sirika, has appointed Mr. Kabir Mohammed as the new managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Mohammed takes over from Capt Rabiu Yadudu who was appointed a little more than four years ago on May 20, 2019.
No reason was given for the exit of Yadudu but he had a premonition of what fate awaited him when he said at the site of the demolished buildings in Ajao Estate that should he continue as the managing director of the agency, he would continue to apply a human face to the issue of encroachment on airport land but should another take his place and decide to be brutal, he would not be doing anything wrong.
Before his appointment, Mohammed served as the regional general manager north central, airport manager, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In January 2022, he was appointed the chairman of aviation roadmap implementation committee, a position he held concurrently with general manager, special duties at FAAN.
The new FAAN MD served variously in the presidency, office of the secretary to the government of the federation (1992 -1994); office of the head of state, commander-in-chief (principal secretary’s office (1994 – 1998); special assistant to the minister of environment (1999); special assistant to the minister of agriculture and rural development (2000); personal assistant to the chairman, National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria, Port-Harcourt (2001); personal assistant to the chairman, Frenchies Limited (2002); personal assistant to chairman, A & Hatman Limited; admin manager, Interlinks Insurance, Abuja and admin manager, First Medical and Sterile Products, Calabar (2003 – 2006).
Besides, he worked as special assistant to the managing director, FAAN (2006 – 2007); head of SERVICOM, MAKIA, FAAN, Kano (2008 – 2009); chief liaison officer, FAAN Liaison Office, Abuja (2009 – 2014); chief of staff to the managing director /CEO FAAN Headquarters, Lagos (2014 – 2017); director, Lagos Operations, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (2017 – 2020); general manager-special duties (2020 – 2022).
He has undertaken international Civil Aviation Organization /Airport Council International (ICAO/ACI) courses on air transport system (Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies, Abu Dhabi); airport operations safety and security; airport commercial and financial management and airport planning, development and environmental management and airport safety management system implementation at GMR Aviation Academy, India.
He also attended the airport environment management course at GCAS Abu Dhabi, UAE in fulfilment of the requirement for the attainment of certification as an international airport professional.
Mohammed is an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the United States Government (2007 Transparency and Good Governance).
He has a diploma in Airport Executive Leadership ACI/Concordia University, Certificate on Integrated Safety Management System from Singapore Aviation Academy, Management Certificate in Civil Aviation from ICAO/Concordia University comprising Certificate in Strategic Management, Certificate in Human Resources and Certificate in Business Strategy; Certificate in Runway Safety Management (ACI); Certificate in Airport Business Operations (ACI), among other qualifications.
