The people behind Umza Air

Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Maifata is a prominent Nigerian businessman, visionary entrepreneur, and the Founder of Umza Group, a diversified conglomerate with interests in agriculture, logistics, trading, and aviation. He is widely recognised for his strategic foresight, integrity, and deep commitment to national development through private enterprise.

As the Chairman of Umza Aviation Services Limited (Umza Air), Alhaji Maifata brings decades of leadership experience and an unwavering passion for enhancing air connectivity across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

He is known for his hands-on leadership style, emphasis on local content development, and unwavering belief in service excellence. He is also a strong advocate of public–private partnerships to advance national infrastructure and economic growth.

Beyond business, he is a respected philanthropist and community leader, actively supporting education, healthcare, and youth empowerment initiatives, especially in Northern Nigeria.

Barr. Anachuna Henry Izu, Esq. is a seasoned legal practitioner and corporate executive specialising in corporate law and governance. He obtained his law degree from the University of Calabar and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He served as the Group Company Secretary of Umza Group for over fifteen years, where he played a key role in strengthening corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic business administration across the Group’s operations. His tenure was marked by professionalism, leadership, and a strong commitment to organisational growth.

Following his impactful service within the Group, he was appointed Managing Director of Umza Aviation Services Limited, where he currently leads the company’s operational growth and expansion within Nigeria’s aviation industry. Under his leadership, Umza Air has continued to strengthen its market presence through improved connectivity, service delivery, and operational development.

Capt. Nuhu Zom Maigida is a seasoned aviation professional and veteran airline captain with over 38 years of experience in commercial aviation, flight operations, pilot training, and airline leadership. With a total flying time exceeding 20,700 hours — including over 10,000 hours on jet aircraft and 2,500+ hours on the Boeing 737-200 — he is widely respected within Nigeria’s aviation sector.

He has held key leadership positions including Director of Operations at Westlink Airlines and Africa Contracts & Equipment Ltd, as well as Chief Pilot, Safety Captain, and TRI/TRE (B737-200) at established airlines such as Chanchangi Airlines and Dana Limited. His extensive training includes type ratings and instructional certifications from leading aviation institutes in the USA, Brazil, Belgium, and Nigeria, including NCAT Zaria, IASCO California, and CAE Dallas.

Capt. Maigida combines deep technical expertise with strong safety management principles and a passion for mentoring the next generation of pilots. Fluent in English, Hausa, and Jaba, he is an advocate of continuous learning, aviation safety, and operational excellence.

Ahmadu Muhammed Sani, Director of Continuing Airworthiness, is an experienced aviation professional with tactical turnaround leadership abilities — a three-decade veteran with a knack for driving organisational transformation. He is a peak performer with teams and resources, leading in one of the most ingenious aviation offshore support groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He is recognised for his exceptional detailing during aircraft maintenance sessions, and is well known in the aviation industry for value-driven technical and business relationships with major industry players, local and international. He is always called upon in difficult and delicate operational situations to build long-term productive solutions, spearheading seamless world-class operations.

Ahmadu Muhammed Sani is in fact the only Nigerian to have held Head of Engineering positions in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing operations with an oil and gas bias, having worked with revered companies in the industry including Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Millennium Air, Associated Airlines and Pan African Airlines.

In addition, he has held several senior management positions in corporate business development as well as in safety and quality. He is also a technical trainer and a trained ICAO auditor of repute.

Accomplished and safety-driven airline captain with close to 7,000 total flight hours, including close to 4,000 hours as Pilot-in-Command. His career began as a Flight Operations Officer, progressing through cabin crew and advancing to captaincy — building a strong foundation in operational control, crew coordination, passenger service, and flight operations.

He has extensive expertise on the Dash 8 Q400, Cessna Caravan C208, and Pilatus PC-12, with proven proficiency in multi-crew coordination, flight operations management, and instructional leadership as a Line Training Captain for both domestic and regional operations.

He is adept at mentoring and assessing pilots to ensure compliance with regulatory and operational standards, with a strong commitment to operational excellence, safety, and on-time performance — and is recognised for adaptability, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to the aviation industry.

Hamza Kabir is an accomplished accounting and finance professional with over 15 years of progressive experience across the aviation, oil & gas, education, and manufacturing sectors. He currently serves as the Head of Accounts at Umza Aviation Services Ltd (Umza Air), where he oversees financial planning, reporting, and regulatory compliance for the airline.

Mr. Kabir holds multiple academic distinctions, including a Master’s in Taxation & Revenue Administration, a Master’s in Accounting & Financial Management, and a B.Sc. in Banking & Finance. He also holds a Higher National Diploma and National Diploma in Accounting, both with distinction, along with professional certifications including Certified National Accountant (CNA) and Associate of the Chartered Taxation Institute of Nigeria (ACTI).

Throughout his career he has demonstrated a passion for education and development — serving as a tutor for ANAN professional students and as a part-time lecturer in taxation and accounting. Known for his integrity, diligence, and financial acumen, he is a strategic asset to Umza Air’s financial leadership and growth.