Enugu airport concession not for 80 years, says minister

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

The Enugu International Airport named after Akanu Ibiam, is not being considered for an 80-year concession duration, the office of Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, has disclosed.

This disclosure puts to rest speculation that a decision has been taken by the federal government of Nigeria to concession the airport for such a long period.

Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the minister, said the reports are ‘utterly baseless and untrue.’

Whilst it is true that the Federal Government is considering proposals for the concession of five major airports, which the Ministry said is a “proactive measure to ensure these vital facilities can meet and maintain international standards, given the increasing financial demands of their operations,” it added that “many of our airports are presently running at a loss, so they have to be subsidised each month by the Federal Government.”

Keyamo explained that currently, prospective concessionaires have indeed submitted various proposals, including different durations for the concession.

“It is important to emphasize that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has not established any fixed duration. All submitted proposals are currently undergoing thorough evaluation that will eventually be reviewed by the ICRC before it is presented to the minister for conveyance to FEC for approval. We can confirm that this review process has not been concluded. However, for the sake of transparency, the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo directed, some months ago, that aviation labour unions be included as part of the negotiating teams.

“Therefore, we must state unequivocally that the information suggesting a predetermined concession duration is false, unfounded, and intended to cause unwarranted disaffection and mistrust in this process by those with entrenched interests.

The statement assured that the federal government is committed to a transparent process that adheres strictly to due process.

“With his training and track record, the Minister will not allow anything untoward to happen under his watch. He has so far run the Ministry in a transparent manner and will not fall into the same mistake of the past. We will ensure that all decisions are made in the best interest of the nation and the aviation sector,” it stated.