100 Years of First Aircraft-Landing in Kano: A Need to Reposition Nigeria’s Aviation Ecosystem
Written by Dr Aliyu Ibrahim, MFR
The Air Transportation & Aviation in Nigeria started, through the use of the Kano experience in quelling the first ever twin-concept of Rural & Urban crises, by the ever-proactive British Colonial Administrative Masters, who were largely members of the secret service.
An incident led to the formation of what was later to be an eye opener to areas and domains that people least expected, would grow, expand and develop to great heights and usher positive development administration to the benefits of the citizenry of a nation.
The thought or dream of developing Nigeria’s aviation sector, was an institutional seed sowed over 100 years ago, precisely on November 1st 1925 in Kano Metropolis, the Capital of Kano State, in North-West Nigeria, which is aptly described as about the largest commercial nerve center in Northern Nigeria and attractive to traders from across North, Central, West and Sub-Saharan Africa..
In the life of any nation, 100 years longevity is enough to usher in positive milestone achievements, in the areas of development administration and significant other spheres of human endeavor, including aviation, air-transportation, travel, tourism and hospitality.
Between October 30th and November 1st, 2025, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, in conjunction with some professional aviation industry players as well as the management, staff of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Kano State, North-West Nigeria, will be marking the historical First Aircraft-Landing In Nigeria at Kano, recorded on October 30th 1925, which presents a 100 years’ experience and lasting impressions.
Given the benefits of a tie-back to history and research, it can easily be said that the chequered history of the twin-concept of air-transportation and aviation, in Nigeria, started on November 1st 1925, in the traditionally ancient city of Kano, North-West Nigeria, when a British Royal Air Force Flight, 3D Haviland DH 9A aircraft, torched down, first at the old Kano Aerodrome and later, the present day Kano Polo ground.
The landing of the British Air Force flight, which was of self-serving interests by the then British colonial administration.
It was meant to offer a military quick-interventionist approach towards quelling rural and urban crisis that erupted between British Native Authority Officers, their officials and the Kano natives.
This economic cum administratively induced crisis, either by accident or design had today given Nigeria, a reason to re -evaluate a date in history.
It had also offered Nigeria, a good reason to also re -examine her journey so far towards, revamping and repositioning the nation’s Aviation ecosystem.
It is instructive to note that after the self-serving November 1st 1925 inaugural flight by the British Royal Airforce, the then British colonial administration, then saw the need to establish pilot Airstrips in Kano, North-West, Maiduguri in the North-East and later another in Lagos, for the South-West.
This proactive political leadership experience and decision to have additional Airstrips spread across geographical domains, besides being driven by British military intelligence recommendations in very uncertain direct colonial administration of the then Northern Nigeria, apart speaking to the views of famous African scholar, Walter Rodney, whose best-seller intellectual property work, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa”, 100 years after, is calling institutional attention to the urgent need for Nigeria to be the leading nation in the Continental Aviation ecosystem.
Judging from the Kano experience, which handed down to us 100 years ago, the need then, to develop elementary or rudimentary aviation route-points by way Airstrips, was basically to facilitate the ease of air transportation for serving British Government officials.
It was also to enable the movement of mail, correspondences and allied light-weight cargo parcels to London, in view of the undeveloped geographical terrains and hostile physical environments, then.
Shortly after that landmark pioneer aircraft-landing experience in Kano, on November 1st 1925, the British Imperial Airways, came alive in 1936 and started regular air flight shuttle services that traversed Nigeria, strategic West African British colonies and London, the capital of the then United Kingdom
As the years rolled by, newer aviation project developmental strides, also came on-stream, leading to the creation of the first Flight Information Regions, in Kano and Lagos, respectively even as the then British Colonial Government in Nigeria, went ahead to create the West Africa Air Transport Authority {WAATA} in the year 1946.
The aviation industry in Nigeria, upon the attainment of political leadership independence, in 1960, had a well-defined policy direction.
These policy directives, fell on the desk of Nigeria’s pioneer Honourable Minister of Aviation in the First Republic, Chief Mbazuluike Amaechi, aka , “The Boy Is Good”, whose institutional efforts in the business of air-transportation, were complimented by Nigeria’s pioneer of Air Force, Dr. Shettima Ali-Monguno, shortly after the British Government, gave us mere ephemeral political independence.
Somehow, Nigeria, with divine intervention and pool of creativity, brilliant human resources development and ingenuity, had since independence, grown to develop the aviation sector to the level it is currently.
Though, subsequent federal administrations, had been able define the aviation pathways, within the limits of their knowledge-based and competences of administrators then, however, none had come nearer to the emerging innovative input-processes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his administrative concept of Renewed Hope Agenda policy directives, had brought to bear in the nation’s Aviation industry.
As Nigeria, marks the remembrance of the legendary but separate aircraft-landing experiences in Kano, one in November 1925 on the old horse-race track, commonly referred to as Polo Ground, and other at the old Kano Airstrip, which today, houses the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, 100 years after, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, would be emboldened to roll-out new policy directives that would, before the end of his first tenure, revolutionize Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
For instance, for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose policy directives within the nation’s Aviation public-sector, had recorded huge milestones, appears well positioned to revamp all the 27 Airports in Nigeria, under the supervision of the Nigeria Airports Authority of Nigeria {FAAN}.
This can be seen in the quality resource personalities, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, appointed to individually and collectively, oversee the functionality of the sub-sector, ranging from the brilliantly intelligent Honourable Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Senior Counsel Festus Keyamo {SAN} , the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria {FAAN } Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria {FAAN} Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, PhD as well the esteemed members of the FAAN Board. Same credit goes to the management agencies in the aviation industry.
A guided tour of all the 27 federal airports, including the five internationally designated airports, namely, Abuja, Lagos, Enugu Kano and Port Harcourt, would show that, there are lots of fresh work-schedules as well as rehabilitation work to be carried out, in order to bring these Airports to the standards that their individual and collective images, represent.
Happily, the appointment of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR, CON, a seasoned administrator, technocrat, scholar, who in 1976 functioned as the Sole Administrator of present day Gwagwalada Local Government Council, as the Chairman of the Governing Board of FAAN, is timely.
For the 49-year-old Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria {FAAN} , whose Board, is chaired by Alh Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, PhD, the expectations, by Nigerians, are numerous as they are relevant, giving the dear need to have full – upgrade of almost all the existing facilities, housed at the various airports.
No less than international best practice standards are required to be seen at all Nigerian airports.
Perhaps, what Nigerians, are looking forward to from His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is nothing less than the total Repositioning of Nigeria’s Aviation Ecosystem.
As the Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje led Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria led Governing Board, joins millions of Nigerians, to reflect on the historical significance of the 100 years of first Aircraft-Landing in Kano, It is the expectation of all Nigerians, that before the end of the first tenure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration and at least six months into the second term, modern MRO Hanger Facilities, would have been built across the major airports and Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, through public private partnership PPP.
This writer also believes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, armed with the executive brief about this 100 years commemoration of the Aircraft-Landing, would also announce that the deplorable state of all the Federal and even state airports in Nigeria, be looked into, with a view to having a total rehabilitation and reconstruction of decayed facilities.
It is also the expectations of Nigerians, who voted him into office in 2023 and would re-enact that again in 2027, that President Tinubu’s development administrative projection in repositioning the nation’s Aviation ecosystem, should include massive expansion work in all the FAAN managed airports, in the spirit of the Renewed Hope Agenda policy directives of the APC federal administration.
The essence of this multi-billion-naira capital project, whose initial fiscal instruments deployment, would outweigh and even surpass, the returns on investment, above any other considerations, would apart from ranking amongst the highest foreign exchange earning-streams, would create massive employment windows for scores of skilled professionals, artisans and allied middle-level Nigerians, including non-Nigerians.
The establishment of these MRO Hanger Facilities, would position Nigeria, as the leading aviation industry hub, for the West and Central African sub-region, saving the country, millions of foreign-denominated funds, either in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Euro, as routine annual expenditure profiles, for C-Check as well as D-Check maintenance, repair and overhaul processes, abroad.
Expectedly, it is heartwarming to note that, the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All-Progressives Congress (APC) government has made giant strides in its first 26 months of being in power, establishing solid aviation foundation to make Nigeria a leading aviation hub in West and Central Africa.
The introduction of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar facilities by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) across the country’s major airports, plus the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, would therefore be is a pivotal step in the political leadership journey, of the government.
It will also help to enhance the aviation sector’s self-reliance and institutional autonomy, besides, spurring economic growth and development
The strategic placement of MRO facilities throughout Nigeria is not merely a logistical enhancement; it represents a transformative opportunity for the nation’s aviation industry.
By providing essential maintenance services locally, these hangars can reduce the dependency on foreign facilities, significantly lowering operational costs for airlines. This self-sufficiency can be a game changer, positioning Nigeria as a central hub for aviation activities in the region, particularly, when we consider global case -studies, whose experiments, have turned to huge successes.
Establishing MRO Hanger-Facilities Empowered By Faan across Major Airports & FCT Abuja, Would Be One of President Tinubu’s Lasting Legacies.
Celebrating 100 years of first aircraft-landing {flight} landing in Nigeria, on a rag-tagged airstrip, in the ancient city of Kano, should spur Nigeria, towards recording greater successes and repositioning the aviation ecosystem.
Hundred years is long enough period for us as the giant of Africa to set standards for other African countries.
Given the required motivational incentives, Nigeria, can and will achieve greater successes milestones and soar to new heights in the aviation industry.
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Attribution;
The writer of this news – feature article, Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim, MFR, a political scientist, public affairs commentator, is the National Convener, National Agenda for Tinubu 2027 {NAFT.27}
