Airport Concession Open To All Qualified Entities, States Exempted – FG

The concession of four major airports in the country is open to
all qualified entities except state governments, the Federal
Government has said.

Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, made this known as
the drive for the concession of the nation’s major airports gathers
momentum.

He made the remarks at a Zoom meeting held on Tuesday to update
the sector on the concession plans for the four international
airports.

They include Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano,
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Port Harcourt
International Airport in Rivers, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport in Abuja.

Sirika explained that the decision to concession the airports
was to ensure that the government was relieved of control of the
aviation facilities.

He also assured industry workers, especially those of the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that no worker would
lose his or her job on account of the exercise.

According to the minister, the concession is a step in the right
decision as it will boost the nation’s earnings.

He disclosed that the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminals would
bring investment worth over N30 billion annually, which would be
aided by the construction of a rail line to link both the domestic
and international terminals.

The minister, however, informed the meeting that there was an
urgent need for infrastructure investments and modernisation,
saying the facilities required investments in runway maintenance,
among others.

“There is relatively low asset utilisation due to the limited
opening hours of other smaller Nigerian airports; lack of terminal
capacity as the airports fall short of gates, stands, and check-in
desks.

“The airports have not been designed as international hubs but
operate separate international and domestic terminals,” he
said.

The concession of four major airports in the country is open to
all qualified entities except state governments, the Federal
Government has said.

Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, made this known as
the drive for the concession of the nation’s major airports gathers
momentum.

He made the remarks at a Zoom meeting held on Tuesday to update
the sector on the concession plans for the four international
airports.

They include Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano,
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Port Harcourt
International Airport in Rivers, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport in Abuja.

Sirika explained that the decision to concession the airports
was to ensure that the government was relieved of control of the
aviation facilities.

He also assured industry workers, especially those of the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that no worker would
lose his or her job on account of the exercise.

According to the minister, the concession is a step in the right
decision as it will boost the nation’s earnings.

He disclosed that the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminals would
bring investment worth over N30 billion annually, which would be
aided by the construction of a rail line to link both the domestic
and international terminals.

The minister, however, informed the meeting that there was an
urgent need for infrastructure investments and modernisation,
saying the facilities required investments in runway maintenance,
among others.

“There is relatively low asset utilisation due to the limited
opening hours of other smaller Nigerian airports; lack of terminal
capacity as the airports fall short of gates, stands, and check-in
desks.

“The airports have not been designed as international hubs but
operate separate international and domestic terminals,” he
said.