By Nathaniel Irobi
African airports are facing a deepening financial efficiency crisis, with 80 per cent of them unable to operate viably, as more than 500 delegates gather in Abuja for the 35th Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Annual General Assembly, Regional Conference and Exhibition.
The Secretary-General of ACI Africa, Ali Tounsi, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday ahead of the conference.
Addressing the turnout for the event, Tounsi said the number of delegates had exceeded initial projections. “In the beginning, the estimate was about 350 to 400, but now it is 500,” he said.
He noted that the surge could create logistical challenges, but described it as a reflection of Nigeria’s and Abuja’s attractiveness, as well as the industry’s interest in the event.
“We will have more than 500 participants and more than 40 speakers, sponsors and exhibitors, so it will be a very good event for ACI Africa and for FAAN,” he added.
Tounsi said the conference would focus on the challenges confronting African airports and their preparations for future demands.
“You know that the airport is not all the time efficient financially. Most of the big airports are efficient, but 80% of the airports in Africa are not efficient financially. This is the first,” he said.
He also pointed to shifting airport environments, digitalisation, natural catastrophes and accidents as some of the problems airports across the continent are contending with.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Henry Agbebire, said Abuja had already begun receiving delegates ahead of the event.
He said the conference, holding from September 19 to 25, 2026, would feature the 35th ACI Africa Annual General Assembly, the 76th Board and Committees Meetings, and the Regional Conference and Exhibition, under the theme, “Next-Gen Airports, Driving Performance and Resilience.”
According to him, the conference will provide a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas on airport performance, resilience, digital transformation, infrastructure, passenger experience, sustainability, safety and security, and commercial development.
FAAN Managing Director and Chief Executive, Olubunmi Kuku, said the agency had deployed more than 100 personnel to work with ACI Africa on preparations.
“This has been a long time coming. We’ve had a significant number of individuals, over 100 people from the Nigerian side, working very closely with ACI Africa to ensure that whatever arrangements we make for this 35th Annual General Assembly give the best in-class experience,” she said.
Kuku added that FAAN was working with security and sister agencies to guarantee adequate security and seamless facilitation for delegates arriving through the Lagos and Abuja international airports.
She said the conference would also allow Nigeria to showcase its ongoing airport transformation and modernisation efforts.
“But this conference is not about Nigeria; this conference is about Africa,” she said.
“So while it’s an opportunity for Nigeria, it’s also an opportunity for my colleagues who are managing airports across the region to be able to exchange ideas, have knowledge sessions, have learning sessions, and it’s an opportunity for us to actually come up with new ideas that support the region.”
Discussion about this post