Senator Osita Izunaso has called for an immediate end to the persistent practice of airport officials soliciting money from travellers, describing it as a national embarrassment.
Speaking in Abuja at an event titled Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World, the Imo West lawmaker urged the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, to curb what he termed a disgraceful culture among personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and other uniformed agencies at the country’s airports.
Izunaso warned that such conduct tarnishes Nigeria’s image before foreigners arriving in the country. While commending recent improvements in airport operations, he said the actions of some officials undermine these efforts.
He condemned the familiar requests such as “Your boys are here” and exaggerated greetings used to extract tips from passengers, calling them unprofessional and embarrassing. According to him, repeated gestures of begging send a wrong signal that bribery is acceptable in Nigeria.
The senator stressed that Nigeria cannot host the 2026 World Public Relations Forum — expected to attract participants from 126 countries — while tolerating unethical behaviour at its international gateways.
Reacting, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, said the aviation sector has already witnessed significant reforms, adding that his recent experience at the airport showed improvement, as no official solicited for money. “Nigeria is changing,” he said.
Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, echoed this sentiment, commending Keyamo for what he described as unprecedented progress in airport operations.
Also speaking, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, noted that the introduction of new technologies, including automated gates, has reduced human interaction and promoted global best practices.
In his response, Keyamo assured that airport officials would continue to demonstrate professionalism as Nigeria prepares to host the 2026 global communication summit, adding that plans were underway to establish VVIP reception units at international terminals to improve hospitality for visitors.
