Nigeria’s NASS to meet aviation minister Wednesday over airports concession

The Nigeria’s National Assembly Monday summoned Hadi Sirika, the country’s state minister for aviation, and other stakeholders in the industry over the concession of four major airports in the country.

Olayinka Abioye, the General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The Federal Government plans to concede Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt Airports to enable them meet international standard.

“The National Assembly has invited us for a meeting on Wednesday. It is a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“They have invited the minister, the unions and other civil society groups to deliberate on issues surrounding the concession of the airports,’’ Abioye said.

He also noted that the unions had suspended their 15 days ultimatum over the concession issues following the intervention of Chris Ngige, minister of labour.

Abioye said “the minister of labour has intercepted that ultimatum. He invited us to Abuja for a meeting last week including the minister of aviation.

“Each party laid bare their own side of the story and the minister has now agreed that workers and the unions will be fully carried along because we also alleged that we were not in the know of so many things he was doing.

“He has promised that they will expand the scope of their operations and carry everybody along.’’

The NUATE secretary general said at the meeting, Sirika explained that the issue of the concession was his own idea but that the transaction advisers who had been appointed would determine the type of models for the concession process.

According to him, the unions were informed that the three of the transaction advisers were from the United Kingdom, one from the United States, and one from Nigeria to serve as local content partner.