FAAN targets N70 billion from automation as revenue rises by 17%

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has said its expected target revenue of N70 billion from automated revenue sources is realistic as the automation exercise has boosted it revenue by 17 per cent.

The recent automation carried out on the revenue sources of the agency became necessary and aimed at nipping loopholes through which funds generated are syphoned by individuals into private coffers.

Findings shows that the automation has brought about a steady progress in revenue collection, which is expected to rise up to N70 billion when the automation of all the airports is completed.

Also, when asked, an executive member of Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association ATSSSAN, FAAN branch, said the workers desire to have it revenue sources automated but explained it should transparent and give kudos to the exercise so far.

The members who crave anonymity said “We opposed Maevis because our investigation revealed to us, and we were convinced, that it was not transparent. Instead of increasing our revenue, we were losing money.

At a time we stopped getting our allowances and the money paid to maintain the airports stopped coming. We fully support automation, but it must be transparent”.

He pointed out that the automation has not fully taken place, but said while the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja has been fully automated; Lagos and Port Harcourt are yet to be fully automated.

“I am sure by the time the automation is completed we would be earning N60 to N70 billion annually.” He said.

The initial automation done by FAAN in the past focused only on aeronautical revenue, which concentrated only on the large airports, the current automation focused on both aeronautical and

non-aeronautical revenue and indications show that non-aeronautical would soon be higher than the later in the next two years if well captured by the automation.

Also, General Manager, Corporate Communication of FAAN, Yakubu Dati said the agency was largely kept in the dark by the automation carried out in the past because the concession model was handled by external company “in a black box to FAAN” and therefore was not transparent.

Dati said in the present automation the contractor deploys and maintains the equipment and software, but FAAN staff is trained to operate and use the system.

He said in the past the invoices generated by the external company was customised accordingly, but the present automation electronic invoices are generated by the agency in a more efficient and effective manner and this means full ownership of invoicing process which enhances reconciliation.