The Federal Government on has formally handed over the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to a private operator under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The handing over ended over two decades of unsuccessful attempts to concession the facility, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo said yesterday.

The airport was signed off for concession to Aero Alliance Ltd by the minister at a ceremony held at the airport’s new terminal in Enugu.

Keyamo in his speech, said that the exercise marked major milestone in the Federal government’s drive to attract private investment into the aviation sector, modernise airport infrastructure and improve operational efficiency across the country’s airports.

According to Keyamo, the previous administrations had failed to secure investors for the airport despite the efforts.

According to him, investors had shown interest only in the country’s most commercially viable airports in Lagos, Abuja and Kano, while facilities such as Enugu and Port Harcourt airports struggled to attract private sector participation.

Keyamo said: “This concession plan has been on for about 20 years, but it has only become possible under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Before now, investors focused mainly on Lagos, Abuja and Kano airports. Nobody was interested in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Today, Enugu has been successfully concessioned and Port Harcourt will also be handed over within the next few weeks,” the Minister stated.”

He declared that the successful concession of the airport, had renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s aviation sector, adding that bids were already being prepared for three additional airports across the country.

The minister commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for playing a pivotal role in attracting investors to the project, describing him as a key partner in the process.

Keyamo also sought to allay fears among aviation workers over the concession programme, assuring them that their jobs and welfare would be protected under the new arrangement.

The minister recalled that labour unions initially challenged the airport concession programme in court but later withdrew their cases after engaging with the Federal government.

He, however, charged the concessionaire, Aero Alliance Ltd to justify the confidence reposed in it by the government, stressing that its performance would serve as a benchmark for future airport concessions in Nigeria.

In his address, Mbah said the concession exercise was a transformative development that aligned with the state’s vision of positioning Enugu as a major aviation, logistics and investment hub in West Africa.

In 2022, the Federal Government had initiated plans to concession four major airports – Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, but the attempt was severely kicked against by aviation workers through their various unions and associations.