FG again unveils plans to concession five airports

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reintroduced plans to concession five international airports across the country.

The airports include Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Port Harcourt International Airport; Aminu Kano International Airport; and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

It will be recalled that the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had made moves to concession four major airports, and some consortiums had even won the bid to manage them. However, the move was scuttled by aviation unions, who argued that many jobs would be lost.

Some other stakeholders had advised that, rather than concession the four major airports, the less viable airports should be concessioned in order to make them more viable.

The minister made this known while receiving the Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Monday in Abuja. He thanked IATA for indicating interest in offering an advisory role to Nigeria and for coming in at a crucial time as the concessioning process is about to take off.

He pointed out that the level of infrastructure decay within the aviation industry calls for urgent action, saying that, given Nigeria’s geographical location, the country is the aviation hub for Africa and the world at large.

Keyamo called on investors to avail themselves of the opportunity, stating that Nigeria’s aviation industry is ripe for both local and foreign investors. He appealed to IATA to engage other investors, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is making significant sacrifices to reposition Nigeria’s aviation industry to meet global standards.

Keyamo further noted that with the return of Italian Airlines and the United Arab Emirates to the Nigerian market, the aviation sector is about to take on a new look. He said the government is putting many measures in place to open the market for all operators.

Kamil Al-Awadhi, Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East at IATA, stated that the purpose of the visit was to express their willingness to offer an advisory role to Nigeria in the concession process.

He said that Nigeria is a significant market that no investor can afford to ignore and assured that IATA’s advisory role would come at no financial cost to Nigeria.

Explaining the role of IATA as a trade association representing the global air transport industry, Kamil highlighted its commitment to promoting safety, security, and efficient air transport. He added that IATA fosters collaboration among airlines and airports, provides professional development and training, and facilitates industry standards and best practices.

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Kamil also stressed the need to organize a workshop to educate stakeholders on the benefits of concession and to clarify that the concession plan is different from privatisation.

He affirmed that IATA is ready to support Nigeria in developing its aviation sector, stating that Nigeria is in the global spotlight as far as the aviation industry is concerned.

Kamil concluded by revealing that IATA is on the verge of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to audit all aircraft flying in Nigeria.