Alhaji Fatai A. Okanlawon has vast professional experience spanning over three decades in the Aviation Industry. He started his career as a firefighter in the Civil Aviation Department of the Federal Ministry of Aviation.

He became an Aerodrome Safety Inspector in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) after attending a series of core competency training in aerodromes. At NCAA, he served in different capacities including Technical Assistant to the Director, of the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standard which exposed him to the challenging issues of safety oversight management strategy and leadership. He made remarkable contributions to developing the Civil Aviation Act, of 2006, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations and Guidance Materials.

This led to his appointment as Chairman of, the Aerodrome Certification Task Force. His achievement in this respect was the certification of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in September 2017.

He is a specialist in aerodrome certification and consultant to several organisations on aerodrome certification including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority.

He played a leadership role in the accreditation of Freetown International Airport and the ICAO Audit of Sierra Leone, 2023, Alhaji Okanlawon holds an Advanced Diploma in Aviation Management and a Master’s Degree in Transport Management from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and has also attended many courses locally and internationally.

Member, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and Fire Protection Association of Nigeria.