Stop Airport Officials From Begging Travellers For Money, Imo Senator Tells Aviation Minister

The Senator representing Imo West in the Senate, Osita Izunaso, has urged the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to caution airport officials against begging air travellers for money, a behaviour he described as a “national embarrassment.”

Izunaso made the call at an event themed “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World”, where Nigeria’s preparations to host the 2026 World Public Relations Forum were unveiled. The event drew participants from across 126 countries.

Commending Keyamo’s ongoing reforms at Nigeria’s airports, the lawmaker said that despite visible improvements, some personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and other uniformed agencies continued to engage in unprofessional conduct.

“Honourable Minister, a lot has been said about what you are doing at the airport. When you arrive at the airport now, you just carry your bag and you move in. Good work! That is fantastic,” Izunaso said.

“But you also have to look at the personnel, customs, immigration, and all those that work at the airports. You will always hear screams of ‘Your boys are here, Sir!’ or ‘We are greeting you, Sir!’ You know, this does not depict a very good image of our country.”

The lawmaker warned that such behaviour, including excessive greetings and subtle demands for tips, paints a poor image of Nigeria before visiting foreigners.

“For us in Nigeria, we know the meaning of ‘Your boys are here.’ Please tell them there will be no ‘Your boys or girls are here.’

“There is a way they will be looking at you that makes you know they are asking for something more than their work,” he said, adding that the practice must stop ahead of Nigeria’s hosting of the global event.

However, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, countered the senator’s remarks, insisting that the aviation sector had witnessed significant improvements under Keyamo’s leadership.

“I want to confirm that I returned from South Africa and came back through the international airport. There is a lot of improvement. Nobody said ‘Your boys are here’ to me. So, I think Nigeria is changing,” Neliaku said, assuring foreign delegates that the country’s image was improving.

Backing him, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, praised the reforms at Nigeria’s entry and exit points.

“I want to appreciate the Minister of Aviation, the man under whose tenure the entry and exit point of our airports have really transformed. What we are seeing in the Ministry of Aviation is truly unprecedented. Thank you for making us proud, Mr. Festus Keyamo,” Idris stated.

Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, highlighted how technology was reducing human contact and curbing extortion at airports.

“We’ve taken judicial notice of the remarkable transformation that has happened in our airports. When you get to any of our points of entry now, all you need to do is scan your passport, open your eyes to the sunglasses and it captures your details.

“If you have some problem, they will ask you to come behind and sort yourself out. This is what happens everywhere in the world,” Adeniyi explained.

In his closing remarks, Keyamo assured the audience that Nigeria’s airports would be fully ready to host global visitors for the 2026 World Public Relations Forum.

“We are going to be ready at our entry points, which are actually the image of the country,” Keyamo said.

“We are setting up a VVIP department at all our international airports for very important guests coming into the country. Public relations professionals coming for the forum will enjoy this fully.”