Again, FG unveils plan to concession five int’l airports

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has unveiled plans to reintroduce the concession of five international airports nationwide.
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.

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

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

He called on investors to avail themselves of the opportunity, stating that Nigeria’s aviation industry is ripped for both local and foreign investors.

He appealed to IATA to speak to other investors that President Bola Tinubu-led government is making a huge sacrifice to reposition Nigeria’s aviation industry to a global standard.

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

Kamil Awadhi, Regional Vice President Africa and Middle East-International Air Transport Association stated that the essence of the visit was to make their interest known that they are willing to offer an advisory role to Nigeria in the concession process. He said Nigeria is a big market that no investor can afford to look away from and promised that IATA as an Advisor has no financial cost to Nigeria.

Kamil explained the role of IATA as a trade association representing the global air transport industry to promote safety, security, and efficient air transport, emphasizing the need to organise a workshop to educate the stakeholders on the need for concession and to know that the concession plan is different from privatisation.